


Lost Memories, Gained Hope

by SingingSilence



Category: South Park
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Amnesia, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Master/Slave, Mom Token, Mystery, Revenge, Slavery, Tags May Change, Tweek and Craig being adorable, Violence, minor abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-20
Updated: 2017-12-16
Packaged: 2019-02-04 15:21:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 30,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12773844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SingingSilence/pseuds/SingingSilence
Summary: Forced into slavery and suffering from a lasting head injury, Clyde cannot seem to recall anything about his past or the events that brought him to where he was. Things aren't all bad for him when he is purchased by someone who apparently knows him, and is willing to help him learn more about himself. Unfortunately, time is running out, and the pressure is on to find out just what he is involved in before anything horrible happens.What could all of this mean?Will he ever figure out what happened to him?





	1. Chapter 1

Clyde had almost gotten away. Key word: almost.

He didn't know how long he had been running for. His head throbbed and his lungs burned, his breath clearly audible as he panted heavily. He considered himself physically fit, he'd better damn well be. The guards were catching up to him and he didn't think he could run any further. He heard yelling in the distance, cursing to himself as he pushed off the tree he was leaning against. Thick chains rattled against each other, the heavy cuffs holding Clyde's hands together slowing him down. He didn't know where he was going. All he knew was that he had to run. He needed to find somewhere to hide, wherever that was. His whole body ached and he was out of breath. He considered just giving up, but who knew where that would get him. 

The rational thoughts in his head had almost completely subsided, leaving him with sheer instinct. He quickly ducked behind a bush and hid. It wasn't the best hiding spot, but what else could he do? He clasped a hand over his mouth, trying to silence his breathing. He blinked back tears that threatened to fall. He couldn't afford to cry now, no matter how badly he wanted to. He remained as still as possible, listening to the guards approach. Dogs had sniffed him out, so there was no getting away from them. The two men came across the bush holding the teen, and within moments they were on Clyde, grabbing him.

Clyde didn't fight. He slumped down in their grip. One of the guards let out a laugh, Clyde shooting him a glare. He didn't think this situation was particularly funny. "Out of everywhere-" the guard wheezed. "-You chose to hide in the one bush available for miles!" 

"Idiot..." Clyde thought to himself. Looking around, he realized that he did, in fact, hide in the most suspicious location. 

"Should we be worried about this one? I don't think we could even sell him. We did find him with pirates, after all..." 

"A slave is a slave, no matter where they came from. Let's just get him back to the group. We were supposed to round them up at the auction an hour ago." One guard turned to the other momentarily before looking back down at Clyde. "Now. We can either do this the easy way, or the hard way. You can either get up and walk with us, or we will drag you back across the ground."

Clyde didn't have much time to choose an option. One of the guards clipped a collar onto him while the other grabbed a leash. They had begun to walk as soon as the deed was done, giving Clyde no break to stand up. Clyde wasn't about to get up anyway. He was numb, so any pain that he could get later would just have to happen later. He pushed a hand between the collar and his neck to allow air passage, lying on his side as they dragged him across the ground. He could care less at that point. Rocks embedded in the path would leave marks and bruises, but Clyde would just deal with it. 

He watched all the treetops, admiring the shades of green, brown, and yellow that shone in the afternoon sunlight. Though, his eye caught a figure standing on one of the branches, completely unnoticed by the guards. His eyes widened as he stared at the motionless shadow. He closed his eyes, just to make sure he wasn't just seeing things. When they were open again, the figure was gone. Clyde's gaze never shifted from that tree. He stared at it until he was dragged completely out of sight from that location.

 

~~~~

 

It didn't take long for Clyde to be reintroduced to the group. The guards had cruelly left the collar on him, weighing him down. He was put in the back of the line, recieving glares from the other slaves. He didn't understand why they hated him so much, but he assumed it was because he had tried to escape. The group quickly continued, guards constantly on them if they didn't want to move at the correct pace. 

Clyde's head pounded as he continued on down the path. That had been the one thing bothering him the most. He slowly reached a hand up to the side of his head, feeling the dried blood that had hardened to his scalp. He hissed as his hand brushed across the wound, still fresh, on the side of his head. If only he could remember what had happened. The wound must have been the reason why he couldn't recall much of anything. He hardly even remembered how he got to this point. The only blurred memory he had was being stripped of his clothing, having chains slapped onto his hands, and the gross sound of metal colliding with his skull. It still rung in his memory, though he didn't know whose fault it was. 

Clyde knew he wouldn't be good for much if he didn't function properly. His brain had been boggled. He was snapped out of his thoughts with a rough kick to his lower back, sending him forwards into the back of a stronger slave before him in the line. He offered the slave a sheepish smile, which granted him a scoff. He kept walking with the rest of the group, trying not to let himself get distracted again. He knew he would be punished for sure if such a thing did happen, and it would probably hurt a lot. Clyde didn't want to get yet another lasting injury, so he remained obedient. 

Once the group approached the town, a crowd had already gathered. The guards marched along with the line of slaves, directing them behind a small platform and demanding that they stay silent. All the slaves complied, standing still and glancing around at the crowd. One by one, each slave was called to stand on the platform while an auctioneer took people's bids. Clyde listened to the man ramble on and on. He could hardly believe that the man talked so much. He got lost trying to listen to the man quickly call out numbers and announce slaves being sold. He made a game of counting how many breaths the man took between speaking, but he quickly confused himself. Clyde had never been much good with numbers, at least from what he could remember. 

A quick shove told him that it was his turn to stand up on the platform. Obviously no one was very happy with his compliance and behavior. He got up on the platform and listened to the auctioneer give a brief description of him, which somewhat embarrassed the brunet. He looked around at the audience. Wondering which one of them would take him. He doubted he would be sold. He wasn't alone either, judging by the guards. However, he was surprised when bids soon began coming in. His eyes flicked to everyone around the platform, unable to catch up to the people bidding for him. 

"One thousand."

The crowd went silent as everyone turned to the bidder who made the last call. Clyde followed them until he saw a teen staring up at the auctioneer. The other male had darker skin and eyes, and his mouth was formed into a flat line. 

"S-sold..." the auctioneer stuttered, clearly taken aback by who had placed the bid. The auction was over and the crowd parted ways. Slaveowners each grabbed their newly purchased slave and left. Finally, the dark skinned male that had purchased Clyde was face to face with him. His eyes were soft, and he didn't show intimidation. The leash was handed to the teen, and he gestured for Clyde to follow, which the brunet obeyed. 

Clyde didn't know what was more strange; the fact that the teen had bought him of all the slaves with the money he had or the reaction from the rest of the crowd. Their walk out of the town was relatively silent. He didn't expect a conversation anyway. He could go without one. It helped him zone out and just let his new owner guide him along with the leash. 

"My name is Token."

Clyde's attention snapped to the boy. He couldn't help but think that his name sounded familiar. Though, realizing that he had to reply, Clyde quickly responded.

"Oh! Right! Uh, I'm Clyde."

Token offered a friendly smile, one that Clyde was reluctant to return. When he did awkwardly grin back, he heard Token chuckle a little. He was glad to hear his laugh, it just meant that he wasn't in trouble for not paying attention and that was fine with him. 

Token raised a brow as his focus shifted to the wound on the side of Clyde's head. He had been told about it, but he didn't think it was all that bad. Once they were far enough from the town, he asked Clyde to turn, which the brunet obeyed. Glancing at the wound, he was disgusted by all the blood that gathered around that area, but sympathetic. "How did that happen?" Token asked, avoiding touching it with the fear of hurting Clyde. 

"I got hit in the head," Clyde said, matter-of-factly. It got a snort out of the other, but it didn't really answer his question. Token hadn't expected to get much for an answer anyway. Clyde definitely seemed out of it. He was probably still recovering from the injury, which would make his reasoning skills fail miserably. 

"Well. No shit." Token smiled. Clyde didn't feel insulted by it, however, so he didn't take it that way. 

 

After plenty of walking that Clyde was not very fond of, Token eventually brought Clyde to his home. He had been led right to what appeared to be the most luxurious manor Clyde had ever seen. Token watched his reaction, clearly amused. "It gets better on the inside." He said, earning a light gasp from the brunet. He held the door for Clyde, shutting it behind him once they got in. He was greeted by a caterer, who stared down Clyde. Clyde ducked behind Token.

"Master black, do your parents know that you purchased a slave?" 

"Are you going to tell them?" 

The caterer huffed, turning away. "They will find out. You will have to bring him back."

"You had better not be the reason they find out." Token replied with a frown. He fished some money out from his pocket, fare for the caterer, who easily accepted it. 

"You have my word, Master Black. What is his name?"

Token stepped aside, inviting Clyde to speak. He was a little nervous, but a little thumbs up from Token boosted his confidence. 

"Clyde..." he muttered. The caterer seemed confused by him, but he brushed it aside. 

"Does he have any training? I highly doubt you will teach him." 

"No, and he doesn't need any. I am going to take care of him, not control him." 

The caretaker narrowed his eyes. "He isn't a pet, you know." 

"... I'll be whatever he wants me to be."

Token gave Clyde a questionable glance, who gently tugged on his tunic. As much as Clyde wanted Token to defend him, and knew he was of a higher class than the caretaker, he still considered the fact that the man was under orders from Token's parents and not the boy himself. Watching them talk made him feel unwelcome, and somewhat nervous. He wondered where Token's parents were, or what they were like. 

"Anyway!" Token said, getting his attention back. "Clyde is coming with me. Mind making us some dinner?" The caretaker nodded, carrying on his separate way. Clyde stuck his tongue out at the caretaker when he knew that Token wasn't looking. He didn't like him very much. Clyde quickly followed after Token, who was heading towards a large staircase. 

"So... Where are your parents?" Clyde asked, tilting his head slightly. 

"A majority of the time they won't be home. They are at the King's court." 

"Huh..." Clyde steered off. He figured that Token's family would have to be noble to own such wealth. "So what do you want with a slave anyway?" 

Token turned to face him, his brows furrowing. "You aren't..." he trailed off. "That head injury must be worse than I orginally thought. Just how much do you remember?"

"When I try to remember anything my head just hurts..."

"Alright. I don't know enough to explain this to you, but the person who does will be here in a few days. I'll take care of you in the mean time. Just sit tight and try not to get into trouble, okay?" 

Clyde saluted him. "You got it, master." 

Token's face heated up. "Please, just call me Token. I'll help you get a bath and some new clothes." He opened the door to his bedroom, which was huge. A large fancy bed was the centerpiece of the interior. Beside it was a large dresser with an oil lamp sitting on top. There was a decent bookshelf on the other side of the bed, and a comfortable looking chaise on the opposite wall. Clyde admired the room, and Token merely watched his reactions with amusement. He had a childish curiosity, and Token would gladly be patient with him. 

"Come on. The bathroom is here." Token brought Clyde along, showing him the bathroom. The room was colored a lovely shade of orange by the light of the setting sun coming through the window. A big wooden tub sat in the corner, and a chamber pot was on the other side. There was also a sink with a mirror in front of it. "I'll have the servants fill the bath with water. In the mean time, I might have some clothes that fit you. You can't wear those, they don't look very comfortable."

Clyde looked down at himself. He wasn't wrong. Clyde was wearing itchy rags, which hardly left anything to the imagination. He felt embarrassed by it. He was just glad that Token was kind to him. "Why are you doing all of this to help me?" Clyde asked. "I don't even know you." 

"It's for a friend," Token replied with a friendly smile. Clyde returned it. 

"Thanks." 

Token rang a bell, summoning the servants to come up with water. As they worked to fill the bath, Token brought Clyde back into his room. He walked over to his wardrobe, pulling out any clothing that he thought would fit Clyde. The brunet watched as item after item was pulled out. Eventually, Token had numerous outfits sprawled out on his bed. "You can try these on when you're done in the tub, I guess." Clyde nodded his head. One of the servants popped their head into the room to notify that the bath was ready. A group of servants walked out of the bathroom and went back to their leisure. Normally, they didn't do a lot of work. Token's parents weren't home often and Token himself didn't do much damage to the house or really mess it up in any way. At least he made their jobs easy. 

Token brought Clyde into the bathroom. "Oh! I almost forgot!" He took the collar off of Clyde, the chains attached to the leash rattling as it fell to the floor. The next things to go were the cuffs on Clyde's hands. Token tucked the key to them in his pocket. He doubted he would ever need to use them. Clyde rubbed his wrists and his neck, giving Token a quick "thanks" before stepping inside the bathroom. 

Once he entered the water, Clyde practically melted in the warmth of the tub. His sore muscles rejoiced in the small bit of relaxation he obtained. He leaned back and just enjoyed the water for a little bit. Though, he couldn't help but feel somewhat guilty for making Token wait for him. He supposed that Token understood. Then he remembered that the side of his head and his hands had blood on them and almost every inch of his body was covered in dirt. Clyde scrubbed the dirt off, his skin turning red from how hard he washed it to get all the grime off. He felt weary about washing his head, but he just knew he would need to be careful. Preparing for a slight sting, Clyde ducked his head down into the water. It definitely hurt, but Clyde had to clean the wound. There was no way around it.

When he deemed himself decent, Clyde stepped out of the tub. The water had tinted brown with how dirty he was, but at least Clyde was clean now. He dried himself off, still carefully working around the area where he had been hit. Realizing that Token had left his clothes in his bedroom rather than the bathroom, Clyde wrapped a towel around himself. He understood that it was merely an accident, but he still felt awkward. 

Clyde walked into the room, Token greeting him again. "I'm sorry! I guess I just forgot." Token looked concerned, but Clyde waved him off. 

"It's fine. We were both distracted." 

Clyde picked up the outfit he liked the most, a red and white tunic with some tan pants. Token stepped out of the room while Clyde changed, only coming back in when Clyde opened the door for him. "Dinner is ready. I'll take a look at your head after we eat. There should be a med kit in the bathroom somewhere." Clyde nodded, just glad that he was being taken care of. Token was treating him like a concerned mother, and he didn't actually mind. He wouldn't bring it up. 

Clyde stayed right behind Token as he headed to the dining room. It was just another unnecessarily large room. Many chairs were placed equally along a long table, and two meals were sitting in the middle, right beside each other. Clyde took a seat beside Token, who had already begun eating. He took a bite of the food, and instantly fell in love. It was delicious. He wanted to savor the taste, but at the same time he finished the whole plate easily. Token stared at him with slight shock. "You must have been hungry." Clyde grinned, pleased with himself. He felt his head throb once again, cringing a little. 

"We should probably fix that head wound now..." 

"Of course!" Token replied. "Come on, I'll bandage you up." Clyde got up and followed Token, threatening to tear up again. He didn't want to cry, but Token was treating him so well. He sniffed quietly. Token faced forwards, holding Clyde's hand to guide him back to the bathroom. Clyde looked down at his hand, which was gently grasping Token's. He got a warm feeling in his stomach when he was led to the bathroom. Being worried about felt nice, he couldn't deny it. Token was like a dream come true, considering where else he could have ended up. He snapped himself out of his thoughts before he got way too emotional and started crying again. He didn't want Token to think lowly of him, or at least, lower than a slave. 

Token sat him down in the bathroom, finally getting to look at the wound without all the blood in the way. "You were hit very hard. It was enough to knock you out. You must have gotten a concussion and amnesia." He placed some ointment over the wound and wrapped rags around Clyde's head, tenderly dressing the wound. He made sure it wasn't too tight or too loose. It was just right for Clyde. Afterwards, he led him to the bedroom. Clyde automatically went to the chaise. He hadn't waited for Token's command or asked where he would sleep, but the other boy wouldn't say anything anyway. "There is a guest bedroom, you know. You could sleep there." 

Clyde was already comfortable in the chaise, and his drowsiness was clear. Token wouldn't make him move. He got out of bed and walked over to his closet, pulling out extra blankets and draping them over Clyde, who curled up and accepted them happily. Clyde was so tired from the day that he fell asleep right then and there. Token was amazed at how fast he had passed out, but couldn't blame him. 

"Well... Goodnight then..." 

Clyde's gentle breathing lulled Token into a state of relaxation. He stared at Clyde's sleeping form under the heaps of blankets and smiled softly. Clyde was nothing like what he had expected, and that wasn't even a bad thing. Token went to his bed and got in, putting out the oil lamp on his bedside. He slowly fell asleep just thinking about how he could get away with keeping Clyde here, and what it might possibly bring for him.


	2. Chapter 2

"They're approaching!"

"Quick! Get over here!"

"Oh my God!" 

A gunshot rang in Clyde's ears, waking him up with a start. He pressed his hand to the pillow, noticing that it was damp. He brough a hand to his face, sniffling and wiping at the tears. "W-what?..." Clyde stuttered, staring at his hand. His head hurt, and he rubbed at it to try to soothe himself. He was still crying, but he couldn't explain his reason why. 

His sobbing woke Token up, and the teen immediately looked over to see what the problem was. He got up out of bed, shocked at the sight of Clyde. Token walked over to the sniveling brunet, trying to figure out what to do. He settled on simply wrapping his arms around Clyde and shushing him. Obviously what he was doing worked, because it didn't take long for the other to lean into him. "There there..." Token cooed. He had never needed to deal with this before, but he didn't mind it. For some reason, comforting Clyde gave him a warm feeling. "Do you mind telling me why you were crying now?"

"I don't know!" Clyde blubbered, sniffling. "I woke up crying... and.. and... I lost them..." 

Token furrowed his brows. "You lost them? You lost who?"

Clyde looked up at him with wet eyes. "W-what?"

Token considered asking Clyde a second time, but the poor boy most likely did not want to attempt to remember what had bothered him so much. He simply decided to let it go. Clyde appreciated it a lot. He rested on Token for a little bit, just relaxing while Token comforted him. He didn't understand why Token was being so kind to him, and Token didn't either. He just felt obliged to. Token held Clyde, staring out the window at the trees blowing in a gentle morning breeze. Sunlight poured in from the window and birds chirped happily. 

"Are you going to be okay?" 

"...yeah..."

"Good..." Token muttered. "We should get up now." With a brief nod from Clyde, they got off the chaise. Clyde stretched and yawned, rubbing his eyes of the remaining tears he had left. He had finally calmed down, and was ready to actually start the day. As he slipped off the blankets on him, a certain smell caught his attention. Clyde sniffed the air, now more awoken by whatever it was. It smelled sweet, and delicious. Token caught on to Clyde, smiling. "That's probably our breakfast," he said. 

"Food!" Clyde exclaimed, his stomach rumbling. He couldn't wait to feast on whatever was downstairs. Token had to stop him and reason with him before he suddenly waltzed in and took what he wanted. 

"Hold on there. You're a slave, remember? You have to serve me." 

"I thought you weren't going to do that." Clyde looked legitimately upset, enough so that Token mentally scolded himself for wording it the wrong way. 

"No no! I mean they all assume you are my personal slave. If you suddenly walked into the kitchen like you owned the place, they would call you out on it. You have to make it seem real." He could only pray that Clyde didn't mess up. He promised that he would keep him safe. Clyde nodded his head.

"So just follow you and don't talk? If you ask me to do something, I do it without question. Got it!" He gave Token a thumbs up. 

Token put a hand to his head and sighed. "Please, please don't do anything to get us found out." 

The two boys walked down the stairs, Clyde following behind Token. He was tempted by the smell of food, but a deadpanned expression remained on his face. A maid greeted Token, shooting Clyde an odd look. 

"Young master Black, your parents are home! They are in the dining room. I believe they wanted to have a word with you. Your breakfast is already in there as well. Would you like me to guide your slave to the servants quarters?"

Token tensed up somewhat at the mention that his parents were home. They weren't bad people, but he knew they would ask about Clyde, and he wasn't prepared to justify his ownership. He couldn't leave Clyde with the servants, lest they do something bad to him or put him to work where Token wouldn't be able to find him. "That won't be necessary. I'll just bring him with me." The maid nodded and proceeded on to fulfill her task. Token immediately turned to Clyde afterward. 

"I need you to wait right outside the door, okay? Don't look in and don't speak. Just hide from my parents' sight." Clyde listened. 

"Will do." 

"Good... Stand here..." Token moved away from Clyde, leaving him just outside of the door. Token took a deep breath before stepping into the dining room. "Hey mom. Hey dad."

Token's mother smiled. "Good morning, Token. Please, sit down. We wanted to have a word with you." 

Token sat down, trying not to act suspicious. He looked down at his breakfast, taking a few bites from it while sharing glances with his parents. 

"We heard from a few of the servants that you went out yesterday and came back with a slave. Is that correct?" Token's father had gotten straight to the point, enough so that Token was genuinely surprised. 

"Yeah..." He didn't know what to say. 

"At least he is finally adopting the high class customs, Steve," Token's mother cut in. 

"I suppose. But have you considered the fact that this slave supposedly came from a pirate shipment? He might not be suitable."

"Oh, stop. Our son has good taste. He is smart and makes good decisions, just like us."

Meanwhile, Clyde had gotten bored standing in the hallway. The smell of Token's breakfast certainly didn't help. He remained obedient, however, if he knew what was good for him. He rolled his head, just trying to think of ways to pass the time. It wasn't long before a servant walked up to him, carrying a pitcher of juice. 

"You! Don't stand around and do nothing. I know you're new here but that is no excuse!" The servant handed the pitcher to Clyde. 

"But I-"

"Don't give me any excuse! Go now. Refill their drinks if they ask." 

Clyde didn't have any time to protest. The servant quickly shoved him into the room. 

 

"So, where is this slave boy? Can we assess him?-"

Token and his parents turned their head towards Clyde as he stood in the doorway awkwardly, holding the pitcher that had been given to him. Token looked nervous, hoping that Clyde knew what to do. Token's parents waited patiently. Clyde walked over towards the table.

"W-Would you like a refill?" He asked Token's parents. 

"We are fine," came a reply from Token's mother. Clyde walked around the long table and stopped at Token. He honestly found it ridiculous why they needed such a large table when they only used three seats, but he kept his mouth shut and didn't state what was on his mind. 

"How about for you?" Clyde asked Token. Token held up his glass, trying to prove to his parents that Clyde was loyal. Clyde refilled the glass up to the brim. It was a bit much, but Token accepted it. His parents were obviously not too fond of the slave's behavior. 

"He didn't even refer to him as his master..." Token's father whispered to his mother. She nodded her head. 

"We must show our son how to control his property." 

Clyde couldn't help but feel guilty, but he had no clue how to properly act. Token sighed. He didn't want to have to go through with training Clyde to be obedient, but he supposed they could put on a show for his parents. He just didn't want to treat Clyde that way unless Clyde was okay with it. Clyde placed the pitcher down, not sure what to do. He stood there awkwardly, just watching them and not doing anything. Token frowned, Clyde even more upset that he couldn't figure out what to do.

"Token, we love you very much, but you failed. You can keep this boy, but you will have to train him and show him proper manners." 

Token faked a pleased smile. "Thank you! I won't let you down." He turned to Clyde. "Come with me. I will teach you how to behave." 

"If you don't mind, we would like to come with you. Just to see what you do." 

Token internally groaned. Of course they had to go with him. It seemed like they were home from the court for the day too, which wouldn't be good. Clyde remained behind Token, where he usually was. Token's parents got up as well, and servants came in to take care of the dishes. 

"He can wash your dishes. As your personal slave, he must tend to all of your needs." 

Clyde quickly went back to the table to grab the dishes, carrying them to the kitchen. He went towards the sink, but Token's parents stopped him. 

"Servants in the kitchen must wear aprons. You don't want to get clothes covered in water." 

Clyde placed the dishes down on a counter beside the sink, grabbing an apron and tying it around his waist. He then went to the kitchen and started scrubbing at the dishes, making sure that there wasn't a single spot on them. Token's parents looked proud. Token pretended to monitor Clyde to make sure that he got the job done. Clyde finished washing the dishes, drying each with care and putting them away. 

"Well, there is one task he can do. That still doesn't prove his utmost loyalty to you." 

Token couldn't think of something else to prove Clyde could provide for him. 

"Alright..." He turned to Clyde. "I am going to fall. I want you to catch me." It was a big risk, but he was sure that Clyde knew what to do. He let himself fall, and just as he predicted, Clyde caught him. His parents seemed pleased. 

"I stand corrected. He is loyal to you, but what tasks are you going to use him for?" 

"I just need someone to talk to," Token shrugged. "He is a very good listener."

"That won't do," Token's mother quipped. "A slave is meant to follow your orders, not waste your time. The maids put him to work and train him. In the meantime, we will show you how to control him. At the end of the day, you both will prove to us how much you learned."

Token hadn't expected to spend the day getting lessons on dominance from his parents, but that was exactly what happened. He spent a majority of the time just worrying about Clyde. He wasn't allowed to see him until later, any every second tried his seemingly endless patience. His parents lectured him using practice servants. Though they told him time and time again the difference between slaves and servants. They made sure he knew that he didn't have to pay a slave for labor, and they were to obey every order given. Token was beyond bored. He knew all this information already. He could only hope that Clyde was learning from the maids.

Clyde didn't expect to have a blast with the maids. As it turned out, they were very chatty and knew how to pass time. He joked around with them and helped them clean the house. They had gotten him his own frilly apron and headpiece. He wore a black elbow-length sleeve top and black knee-length pants. He got along well with them. He found out that sometimes they would rearrange paintings in the house just to see if the family paid any attention. So far, they had gone three months without seeing anything different. Clyde let them know that he wouldn't tell anyone, but walking the hallways and looking at the paintings, he couldn't help but smile a little. 

He did learn from them. They told him that he had to refer to Token as his master, despite Token telling him not to. That part confused him, but he would do his best to suit both sides. Clyde was also shown what to do when serving them drinks and food, and how to prepare the table. Being a personal slave, they weren't sure if he had to prepare the table. They taught him proper manners, and how to bow and keep good posture. Overall, Clyde figured that he was well prepared for his job. 

 

~~~~

 

When night approached, they were both put to the test. 

Token drummed his fingers on the dinner table, just anticipating seeing how Clyde turned out. He had made a promise that nothing bad would happen to him. He could only imagine what hard work the maids used him for. They probably made him do all kinds of manual labor. He must have been dead tired from it. He hoped that Clyde learned about obedience. At least he knew what to do now. 

Token's parents sat at the other side of the table, clearly concerned about their son's nervousness. After all, the other boy was merely a slave. He shouldn't be bothered so much. They rang a bell, sounding for the servants to come in. "Let's see how your slave turned out," Token's father said.

Token was astonished when he saw Clyde enter. He was more in awe of the outfit and the way Clyde carried himself. It appeared that his parents were equally stunned. Clyde pushed a cart with their food on it, serving them all their meals. He filled their drinks and held his hands behind his back, standing beside Token. "Will that be all, master?" Clyde asked. Token was frozen for a moment, but replied accordingly. 

"Yes. Go back into the kitchen until you are needed further." 

Clyde bowed his head and pushed the cart out, leaving the room. Token's parents nodded their head in approval. "Good. It appears you both learned something today." Token ate quietly with his parents. "We are going to be back in the court for the rest of the week. We are leaving tomorrow morning. There are a lot of important things happening there now, so we won't be home." Token wanted to question what was so important, but then he realized exactly what they were talking about, and he kept his mouth shut.

Token rang the bell beside his plate. He didn't need anything, just knowing Clyde was there was deemed good enough for him. Not wanting to leave Clyde with nothing to do, he quickly gulped down his drink. It wasn't long before Clyde came into the dining room with a pitcher. He quickly refilled it for Token. 

"Was that all, master?" 

Token was somewhat frustrated with himself, but he didn't want to confuse Clyde when he was trying to show his parents how good he was at following orders. There wasn't a single problem with Clyde. Token just didn't know what to do. He didn't want to boss him around. Token realized he hadn't given Clyde the order to leave yet. He had left the brunet to stand around while he struggled internally. 

"Here. I'm done with this anyway. Take this and go wash it." 

With a small bow, Clyde took the plate from Token. 

"I'm done too," Token's mother added. 

"Take all of our plates," Token's father said. 

Clyde grabbed all of them, bringing them into the kitchen to wash. 

"We are proud of you, son. It seems you both passed. We will let you keep him after all."

Token grinned. "Thanks! I won't let you down!"

"We know you won't. I think we should get to bed. It's been a long day for all of us. We have to get up early to go to the court." 

Token's parents got up, heading towards their bedroom and leaving him at the dining table. Clyde came by and cleaned their places, taking care of extra silverware and napkins that were left behind. 

"You don't need to do that," Token said nonchalantly.

"You sure, master?"

"You don't need to do that either." 

Clyde snickered, Token giving him a nudge to the side and smiling. "Let's just get to bed. We can let the servants handle the rest of this." Token walked upstairs, Clyde following in suit. 

They got to Token's bedroom, Token grabbing his expensive sleepwear. Clyde turned so he could change into it. Clyde didn't mind the outfit he had on, but he knew he couldn't sleep in an apron. He took off his headpiece and his apron, removing his shirt to put on one that resembled rags more than anything else. He settled down on the chaise, pulling blankets over himself and cuddling into the pillow. Token curled up in his bed. 

"What did you do all day?" He asked, Clyde giving a small hum to show he was listening. 

"I mostly cleaned and talked with the maids."

"They gave you one hell of a makeover, that's for sure."

"I thought it looked nice. What did you do?"

"Lessons..." Token grumbled, wanting to forget about his parents making him learn commands and assertion. "Sorry about that, by the way..."

"It's no problem. I don't mind it." 

"You sure? It's kind of bossy." 

"Yeah. I do whatever you want, remember? Anything you ask for, master~"

Clyde didn't expect to get hit in the face with a flying pillow, but he gladly accepted it after. Token had another pillow anyway. He laughed a bit before toning down his volume. Token was clearly tired, as he fell asleep the second his head hit the pillow. It wasn't long before Clyde followed. He had worked hard all day, no matter how light he made it sound to Token. 

He fell asleep with the thoughts of what would possibly happen tomorrow, and the hope that he could figure himself out. 

He didn't want to wake up in tears from the unknown again.


	3. Chapter 3

Token woke up to the sound of tapping on the window of his bedroom. He rubbed at his eyes, narrowing them in annoyance. He questioned whether or not to just leave the person tapping on it there until the morning. He knew he wouldn't be able to do it, he was too kind. Though, he did consider cutting the tree by his window down when he had the time. The tapping only got louder and more urgent, so, with a sigh, Token walked over to the window and opened it up. 

"What do you want, Tucker..." 

"I told you to call me Feldspar," hissed the boy outside. "Can you let me in? It's fucking freezing out here." 

"Yeah yeah..." Token stepped aside, allowing the boy adorning a blue hat to enter. His cape was caught on the window, so Token had to help him get unstuck. "What's the deal, Craig? You said that you wouldn't be here until tomorrow afternoon. I don't know if my parents left for the courts or not." 

"I saw them leave earlier. But that isn't necessarily good either." Craig adjusted his cape. "Where is he?"

Token gestured to the chaise across from them. Clyde was passed out, his body spread out across the lounge chair. The blanket was clumped together on his back and his cheek was pressed to the pillow. His limbs were positioned awkwardly, but it didn't seem to affect the brunet at all. Token grinned and Craig let out a loud huff of air. "Yup. Should we wake him?" 

"I'm sorry to say, but I don't think he will know you... He is still healing from some sort of head injury. He must be remembering things a little at a time." Token frowned. He wasn't sure how Craig would take that information, but Craig appeared unmoved. 

"... Alright... I'll go let Tweek in. He's waiting in the back. He says he's strong and tough but he's probably freezing his ass off outside." 

Token nodded his head. "And then we can wake Clyde."

"We don't have much time..."

Token rolled his eyes. "Craig, we have a month. You know the trial won't happen until next year."

"All the more reason to get a head start."

Craig slipped down the stairs and into the darkness. It wasn't long until Token heard small gasps and jumps from who he assumed was Tweek. The duo quickly came up the stairs, side by side and holding hands. Token looked down. "I see you're still together."

"He is my king. I will protect him at all costs." 

"Craig, I'm a tribe leader. You just hold me in really high regard."

"He is my king. I will protect him at all costs," Craig repeated, leaning his head on Tweek's shoulder. Tweek huffed but gawked when Craig pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Your war paint hides nothing..."

"Gah!"

Clyde slowly began to wake up as he heard multiple voices in the room. He turned his body so he could sit up, rubbing his head. Token's immediate response was to go over to Clyde and put his hand down. "Don't do that, you'll move the bandages..." He spoke with an authoritative yet caring tone. Clyde grumbled something incoherent in response, but he quickly jumped when he noticed that Token wasn't the only one standing in the room. 

"Wha?... Who the hell are you people?" Clyde's eyes widened as he looked between the two newcomers. The twitchy blond and somewhat buff teen didn't appear to be too fond of being there, while the blue eyed cloaked teen looked bored and even somewhat annoyed. Clyde squinted as he stared at the second boy. "Hold on... weren't you in the trees?" 

Craig smirked, clearly pleased that he remembered him. "My name is Craig Tucker, but most know me by Feldspar. You have met me before, but unfortunately you don't remember that... I've come to try and fix you." 

Clyde narrowed his eyes. His head hurt when he heard Craig's name. Token sat right by him to keep him from trying to touch the wound. Clyde instead pointed at Tweek, who flinched. "Well, have I ever met him before?" 

"N-no! I just came because C-Craig is here! My help is needed for something else!" 

Clyde looked hopelessly up at Token. "Does that mean I've seen you before?" 

"Only once before now..." Token smiled, staying by him. 

Clyde didn't seem to be very happy about all of this new information. It had come from absolutely nowhere and was being shoved in his face. He couldn't help but be bothered by it. He had also just woken up, so currently his attention and reasoning was awful. "I don't understand! Why are you here and what do you want from me?" Clyde's head throbbed and he winced as memories failed to enter his mind. He whimpered and retreated into Token, who seemed to be the one thing that didn't change for him entirely. 

Craig was unmoved. "We need him to be in his peak condition if we are going to pull this off. I didn't think he would get amnesia..." Clyde could have sworn he heard a bit of hurt in the raven-haired boy's voice. "He'll have to learn things little by little, even if we don't have much time..." 

"You guys can always stay here. I have plenty of space and my parents are never home. I can notify the servants that you are welcomed guests." He looked down at Clyde. "And maybe now someone will actually sleep in the guest bedroom." Clyde smiled sheepishly. He still wasn't entirely awake yet, so all of this new information wasn't being processed correctly. He could only feel worse about himself and his surroundings. Just how many secrets had Token been hiding from him? 

Clyde turned to Craig. He could hardly read him, but Craig appeared to have the most information out of all of them. He wondered if Craig would fill him in on who he actually was. He looked down at himself. Had he ever been more than a slave? He certainly didn't believe it. He was found with a group of slaves, wearing chains among them. He couldn't have had more than that. They spoke of Clyde as if he were something much more than a servant. He felt burdened by a responsibility he didn't understand. 

Tweek began shaking and Craig reacted accordingly, wrapping his arms around the barbarian to calm him down. "We've been traveling for a while. I had to sneak Tweek away from the tribe so we could get here. If it isn't any inconvenience, do you think we could stay here and help Clyde heal?" 

Token nodded his head. "It might take a while. We don't want to force him to remember everything. His head wound is still really bad. Besides, we have plenty of time." Clyde listened to them speak. It felt horrible hearing them talk about things he didn't understand, things he wasn't allowed to figure out. They had good reason to prevent him from knowing, what with his throbbing migraines from trying to learn everything at once, but he couldn't help but feel a sense of betrayal. 

"You two should head to the guest bedroom now. I'm sure you are probably over tired from your jounrey and we can't think logically about this without you getting proper rest. Stay here for a few days and lay low, especially you Craig!" The teen in question widened his eyes, expressing guilt. "I don't want to have to bail you out of jail again, you dirty thief." Craig tilted his head down. 

"Yes mom. I promise I won't rob the town, you royal pain in the ass." 

Token glared at Craig, but sighed. He turned back down to look at Clyde as Tweek and Craig left the room. "You were no better, at least from what I heard..." He smiled softly. Clyde had rested his head down on Token's lap, the other male running his fingers through the brunet's hair absentmindedly. Clyde stared up at him, and Token knew that he was questioning everything. He couldn't help but feel sympathy for Clyde. He was shoved into a difficult situation with nothing to remember. 

"Token..."

"Hm?..." 

"I wasn't always a slave, was I?"

"...No... No you weren't." 

Clyde felt the pain in his head return. He winced a little and Token gently soothed him. "This is why... It'll take time. There is no need to rush." 

"But Craig said-"

"Craig says lots of things. Don't listen to him, at least not too much. Trying to learn everything all at once could be bad. You can be very irrational as well, so there is no doubt you will try to immediately take action." 

Clyde tried to think about what event would possibly make him immediately take action, but he had no such luck. Token watched Clyde carefully. He hated having to bite his tongue, but Clyde needed ignorance more than anything else. Token also enjoyed the sense of innocence that Clyde had when he was merely a servant. He knew that it would fade when Clyde figured everything out, but he would appreciate it while it lasted. 

Token continued to run his fingers through Clyde's hair. Clyde was tormented with his lack of knowledge. None of them had said enough for Clyde to start connecting the pieces. He was so confused about it all. He hoped that just being a slave to Token would be heaven, but now understanding that wasn't the case, he was in a place of purgatory, where nothing made sense. He could only imagine what hell lied in the truth, what Token had been protecting him from this whole time. 

"I'm going back to bed... Mind getting off of me?" Token asked quietly. Clyde moved his head off Token's lap and Token got up, getting back into his bed. Clyde curled up on the chaise again, pulling the blankets up over himself and watching Token get comfortable. Clyde fell asleep fast, holding his pillow close. Token didn't know how he was going to get any sleep in with the new arrivals, for more than one reason. 

 

~~~~

 

"A-are you sure that this will be okay? Ack! What if my parents find out you took me? What if we get discovered here? Oh god!" 

"Shhh... We'll be fine..." 

Craig cuddled Tweek close on the bed, calming him down. Luckily, the guest bedroom had a large enough bed for the both of them, and it was close to Token's room in case anything happened. Craig appreciated Token taking care of them, despite the trouble and risk they posed to him. Being of such a high class, it was practically treason to take them in. Token constantly put himself in danger to protect Craig, and Craig took every chance to repay him. 

"W-why does he help you?" Tweek looked up at Craig, lovely forest green eyes staring right into Craig's icy blue ones with what could only be sheer concern and panic towards what was to come. "We are a threat!" 

"Honey... You are hardly any threat unless you're angry." 

Tweek harrumphed, but snuggled close to Craig. Craig gave a gentle squeeze to Tweek's abdomen, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. "Listen... We'll be fine. Token and I have known each other for years and nothing bad has ever happened. Well, nothing too bad. He's vouched for me a few times and I've done the same for him. We have each other's backs. You're going to do a great job helping us, okay? I didn't just bring you here because I would be lonely."

"But you did kind of bring me to not be lonely."

"True, I needed someone to hug, but you also have the brute strength we need." Craig gave another squeeze to Tweek, who giggled. 

"Stop that! Ack! What if they hear!" 

"Mmm... let em..." Craig muttered, his face buried in the back of Tweek's head. 

"Craig, really? You hardly touch me when other people are around..." 

"When other people are around." 

Tweek made himself comfortable, sharing warmth with Craig. He didn't think he was actually capable of being tired, what with all his energy. The day had certainly been a long one for both of them, and Tweek had waited the whole day for a chance to finally snuggle in close with his lover. He felt drowsiness overtake him, and his body basically gave out. He heard the gentle snoring of Craig beside him, and it slowly lulled him to sleep. 

"Goodnight, Craig... I love you..."


	4. Chapter 4

"Shit! You're gonna kill me!" 

"Come on. You have to have something still in there." 

"Craig, please take it easy on him." 

The group had attempted to practice fighting in Token's backyard, but it looked more like Craig was attempting to murder Clyde while the latter ran and screamed. Token and Tweek sat on the side, just watching as Craig dug out another dagger from his pocket and tossed it towards Clyde. He wasn't trying to hit Clyde, but the brunet made it increasingly harder not to with his ducking and screaming. 

"How is this supposed to help me, you lunatic?!" Clyde shouted. Craig narrowed his eyes and Token's concern only grew. Tweek was just worried about hurting Clyde during the next round of practice he was supposed to spar for. 

"You have to remember your skills. Think about it, how are you supposed to save anyone if you can't save your own ass?" 

"I'm not saving anyone! I don't know you people! How can I care enough about saving someone if I don't know who they are?" 

Clyde recieved a cold glare from Craig, and Token fought the urge to step in and stop them from actually fighting. Clyde could tell that Craig was obviously bothered by something, but none of this was his fault. He truly had no clue what any of them were talking about. This must have been some huge misunderstanding. Even if it wasn't, obviously Clyde was no longer the same person that they were looking for. It was shameful that Clyde couldn't be the man they needed. His pride was hurt, along with his brain. 

He was snapped back into focus when a dagger whizzed by his face, just barely missing him. He fell backwards and stared up at Craig in fear. Craig had his arms by his sides, both hands curled into fists. He stood there, tensed up, for mere moments before his shoulders dropped and he relaxed with a disappointed sigh. "Take a break... We'll try again in ten minutes."

Clyde flopped onto his back, panting from all the running and dodging he had to do. Token looked down at Clyde and back up to Craig, whose lips were pressed into a flat line. He was unreadable. Neither Token nor Clyde could understand what was going on in his head. Even Tweek, who knew him better than both of them, was at a loss. He only partially understood from what Craig had told him. Craig was truly isolated from them. His feelings remained a mystery.

Craig turned to go into the house as Tweek and Token rushed to Clyde's side. Tweek apologized repeatedly for his boyfriend's actions while Clyde told him not to worry about it. "You have to forgive him!" Tweek yelped. "His friends are in danger! Gah! We are too! And you. Ack! I might have said too much!" Clyde wondered what that could possibly mean. Tweek ran away before Clyde could ask him to continue. 

"No wait!- damn it..." 

Token frowned. "I'll try to talk to Craig and see if he'll go easy on you... We can't have you dead before we do this."

Token stood up to follow Tweek out, but Clyde quickly reached for his hand, tugging him back down. 

"I want answers. Why does he need to throw knives at me until I get tired of dodging them? What is all of this for? Who am I saving?" 

Token opened his mouth to speak, trying to get Clyde to calm down, but Clyde had seen it coming and shut him down.

"Don't. Just don't say it. Trying to get me to not ask won't help anything. I'm going to hurt whether I like it or not. I just need to know what I'm doing. Why is it that I wake up crying one night for no actual reason? Why can't I remember where I was before I walked with that slave group? Why is it that two days ago you claimed to be my owner and promised that you would take care of me and I would do the same for you? Where did all of that go?"

Token bit his lip. He couldn't provide an answer. He didn't actually know how Clyde ended up where he was, and he doubted that Craig knew either. Clyde looked him in the eyes, understanding that Token was at a loss by his expression. Clyde's harsh glare softened and he eventually sighed. "Fine..." he said. "I just don't want to be hurt or lied to anymore. I'll go through with this. I hope that whatever I was before, I will get to that point. But for now, I am me. I am the same me that you bought for one thousand gold pieces and I am not going to change." Clyde stood up, offering his hand to Token to help the noble stand. Token graciously took it, still somewhat shocked by Clyde's sudden outburst. He didn't think the brunet had it in him. 

Clyde pulled Token up, and Tweek came back with Craig. Craig pulled out a sword from under his cloak, handing it to Clyde. "I spoke with Tweek. I suppose I might have been kind of hard on you before. We can start off easier for now, okay?" Craig took out another sword, leaving Clyde to question what else might be hidden under that cloak. He probably had an elephant and more kept somewhere in his attire. 

Clyde didn't have time to complete his thoughts, because Craig was already going after him. Clyde quickly lifted his sword to block Craig without thinking, surprised to find that he did actually do a decent job at blocking. Token and Tweek grinned from the side, Token cheering for Clyde while Tweek yelled for his boyfriend. Craig pushed his sword forwards before ducking to the side to try and attack Clyde's ribs. Clyde immediately backed up and blocked that as well. 

Clyde couldn't believe that he was actually doing this. He reacted almost immediately by instinct, letting his body take over with the moves. He didn't need to remember where to place himself or where to swing; such things came naturally to him as he attacked and defended. Craig was clearly impressed. He didn't think that Clyde would learn so fast. However, that didn't mean he was cured.

"Well, I stand corrected. You do have your skills. I was only practicing in the wrong field." Craig didn't even have to to easy on Clyde after a little while. Clyde reacted automatically and they were still at a stale mate. He swung for Craig, and Craig would attempt to strike, all the while Token and Tweek cheered from the side. It was entertaining to watch them fight; they could be captivated by it for hours. However, Token knew lunch was almost ready, so they would have to take a break for that. 

By the time that Craig figured he had tested Clyde enough, they both seperated. Clyde and Craig were both panting from the workout, and Tweek went to offer his boyfriend aid. Craig didn't really need any aid. He was just out of breath. He smiled at Clyde, who couldn't help but be thrown off by it. He felt a sense of pride, however. He had fought without recalling ever fighting. He couldn't help but question if he was some great hero or something. He must have been with how they spoke of him. 

"Come on. The servants have probably already provided us with lunch." 

Token guided everyone to the dining room, where everything was already set up. They were provided with sandwiches and salads, with all the best picked garden vegetables. Tweek of course sat beside Craig, and across from them was Token and Clyde. Servants came out to fill their drinks, but stopped once they saw Clyde at the table among the guests and Token. 

"Master Black, why isn't the slave being put to work?" They appeared genuinely confused. They also held a suspicious tone that Token didn't like. Token knew that they could let his parents know that he wasn't following through on what they had taught him. At the same time, he didn't want Clyde to separate from the group. He supposed he didn't have much of a choice but to let him go if the servants were getting suspicious. 

"We are showing him proper meal etiquette," Token lied. "He isn't very smart, and very forgetful. I am trying to train him." Tweek and Craig continued to eat. They wanted no part in this. Tweek didn't understand the situation and Craig knew that if he said anything they would only become more aware of what was happening. The servants paused, considering their master's words. They nodded, leaving the room. 

"Just let us know if you are too busy to train him yourself." 

Token groaned as Clyde dug into his food. He finished it before the servants could come back and scold him. Tweek got worked up now that he knew they were being watched. Craig had to remind him that they were merely servants, but it didn't help. "This can't work," he said to Token. "Eventually they will catch on. They are bound to figure out who I am. Even if they don't, we are literally training your slave to fight. We have got to keep our guard up here." 

Token frowned. "There isn't much I can do. You at least know that you are protected here. No one has figured out Clyde yet and there is absolutely nothing wrong with Tweek being here." The blonde twitched when his name was heard. "The point is, they are servants. I'm sure that my parents have way bigger matters to tend to at the king's court. They wouldn't come back immediately just because my slave isn't behaving properly."

"Token, your parents are currently handling what we have to get to. Don't you get it? Our friends are in serious trouble. You say we have a month because they are still finding information and missing people, but what if they decide to shorten it? How do you know they won't do that? How do you know they aren't hurt right now?" 

Clyde's migraine kicked in as he heard Craig talk back and forth with Token. He vaguely felt a memory coming back to him, but he didn't recognize anything in it very well. All he could remember were blurry images of two people talking to each other. He recalled a tuft of blond hair and a pair of eyes that didn't exactly face the same direction. He knew he was tired at that particular time. He had been sitting and listening to someone speak. Suddenly, what appeared to be a door flew open, and another figure entered, clearly in a panic. Noise from the outside suggested chaos, and Clyde couldn't handle the sound of it all happening. 

Clyde held his head, resting it on the table. Tweek began to shake in fear and Token had to comfort Clyde as the brunet let out a cry. Craig didn't know what to do. He watched in shock as Token handled the situation. He hadn't expected Clyde to react in such a way. He couldn't help but be worried for Clyde's health. He quickly turned to Tweek to quiet him down before any of the servants caught on and came rushing in. 

Unfortunately, they didn't get that luck. Two servants entered the room, seeing Clyde freak out on the table and Token trying to soothe him. "Oh no!" They exclaimed, rushing over to tear the brunet away from him. "Master Black! Your slave cannot be around you if he acts like this! This vile creature must be punished for such rebellious behavior!" Token wanted to growl at them as they crowded around Clyde, but he knew that trying to fight them on it wouldn't help the situation much. 

"Let me take care of it, alright? Just get back to your original duty." 

"Master Black, you know we can't do that. I know that the head caretaker told us to not notify your parents, but if you don't let us handle this then we might just have to." The men had to raise their voice over the sound of Clyde's breakdown. Tweek wasn't doing much better. Craig ended up pulling him close to his side and walking upstairs into the guest bedroom to calm him down. Token didn't want the servants to touch Clyde, but he supposed that he didn't have a choice in the matter. They were already so far ahead in their plans and Token couldn't afford to lose their one place of secrecy. One quick messenger to let Token's parents know would lead to disaster. 

With a huff, Token let go of Clyde. The servants roughly grabbed Clyde, who reached his arms out for Token. Token couldn't help him. His chest tightened as he watched Clyde get dragged away, sobbing uncontrollably. Token still didn't fully understand what had just happened or what had set Clyde off. He must have gotten a memory, and a clearer one what with his reaction. Token could hardly tear his eyes away as Clyde was brought out of sight. He felt awful that Clyde was going to get punished for something he didn't even have control over. He supposed that was the point. Clyde wasn't supposed to have any control as a slave. The whole idea sickened Token. 

He stared down at his plate of food. There was nothing that could be done to save Clyde. He just hoped that the servants were true to their word and wouldn't send a messenger to his parents. He also prayed that they wouldn't hurt him too badly, or better yet, not at all. He didn't think he would be able to forgive himself if he let that happen. 

Token got out of his chair, forcefully pushing it in. He stormed upstairs towards his room. Passing by a maid in the hallway, he stopped her. "Please tell the male servants that if my slave has lasting injuries I will not hesitate to fire each and every one of them. Also tell them that when they are done they must bring him upstairs to my bedroom." The maid quickly nodded her head, taken aback by Token's new attitude. She raced off to her destination, and Token proceeded into his room. 

Token paced. It was all he could do. He paced and he worried about what was happening to Clyde while also hating himself for not doing anything to stop it. He could only anticipate seeing Clyde again.

~~~~

After an hour, Token finally heard a knock on his bedroom door. He rushed to it immediately, and pulled it open. Clyde was alone and on his knees in front of the door, sniffling quietly. The servants had taken his shirt, and he had red marks all over his body. Token quickly brought Clyde in, closing the door behind him. He examined Clyde to make sure that the brunet didn't have any serious injuries, but it appeared the maid had gotten through to the servants. 

"What happened?..." Token murmured softly. 

"B-belts..." Clyde sniveled. Token looked over Clyde, examining all of the marks on him. It appeared that he did get whipped all over with belts. Clyde flinched when Token touched one of the red marks. Though, some didn't appear alike to others. He could clearly see thick lnes that the belts made where he was whipped with them, but other marks appeared different, and Token was livid as he glanced over them. Obviously, Clyde didn't want to tell him everything. 

"I will make sure they pay..." Token seethed through his teeth. They had not only hurt Clyde physically, but his pride and dignity had been crushed. Clyde held himself, staring down at the floor of Token's room. His bandage had been removed, and he was bleeding from his head again. Token figured that the servants must have been messing with it. He knew that the servants were brutal to each other and anyone of lower class than themselves. They had been wanting to get their hands on Clyde since day one, and Token knew that they hated his family merely because they lived better off. 

Token gently rubbed Clyde's back, avoiding places where the belt had struck him. He didn't know if he wanted to know details of what happened to Clyde. Just looking at the poor boy made him feel sick. "Did they?-"

"No." 

Token wasn't sure if he believed Clyde or not. Clyde wanted to rest his head down on Token's pillow, but he was worried that he would get blood on it. "I'll rewrap your head..." Token offered. Without waiting for a response, he quickly went to grab bandages and gauze. Clyde wouldn't protest, so he figured it was okay to wrap his head again. Token fixed the new bandage onto his head and gently rested him down onto the pillow. Clyde curled up immediately, staring at nothing. 

"There were more people..." he muttered. 

Token turned his head, confused by Clyde's statement. Clyde continued. "There was one boy with blond hair... but not a lot of it. And another one... his eyes were strange, but he had a nice smile..." Clyde traced random shapes into the sheets of Token's bed absentmindedly as he spoke. Token sat on the bed beside him, listening to Clyde's vague descriptions and trying to match names to them. 

"I know who you are talking about..." 

"Why do you know them and I don't? They're in my head!..." 

"Shh... You will find out soon enough. I promise." 

"Your promises mean nothing to me. You promised you would care for me, but you let them take me. You let them bring me away and you let them-" Clyde whimpered. Token ran his fingers through Clyde's hair, trying to calm him down. 

"I won't let them get away with it. I wholeheartedly swear that those servants will get what's coming to them." He spoke softly, listening to the quiet whines from Clyde as he buried his face in Token's pillow. "I didn't want them to lay a finger on you. I didn't let them do anything. They blackmailed me with the threat of telling my parents about everything going on here..." Clyde began to grow drowsy as Token continued to talk. "I will make them suffer, trust me. In the meantime, just rest here..." 

Token pulled the blankets up over Clyde. The brunet began to drift off as Token left the room, quietly shutting the door behind him. He was immediately greeted by Tweek and Craig. 

"Great mom skills, but how will that tough him up?" 

"Shut up, Craig."

"Is he okay? What happened?" 

"I'd... rather not say..." 

Tweek only jumped. "It must be bad then! Is he near death!? Oh god! Did they seriously injure him!?"

Token and Craig immediately shushed Tweek. "He will be fine... You two get ready for the next training session. I have servants to take care of..." 

Token walked downstairs before either of the other boys could protest. Token was practically seeing red by the time he made it to the bottom of the staircase.

If Token were to keep a promise without any loopholes or sudden changes of plan to worry about, this was definitely the one to keep. 

He knew what he had to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my this got dark fast. Anyway, new characters to figure out and more to learn! Sometimes I wonder if anyone actually reads this...


	5. Chapter 5

"Y-you can't do this!"

"Get the fuck out of here! I am also in control in this household. I can fire you at will! I don't care what my parents say to that! I want you to pack your shit and get out of here immediately!" 

Token had never raised his voice at anyone before. He was practically roaring with anger as the workers cowered beneath him. The servants got right to packing, shocked by their master's sudden switch. Token watched them as they left, his glare burning into them. He wasn't going to lay a hand on them, he couldn't anyway, but there was no way in hell he would let them stay there with how they treated Clyde. He wanted to make them pay while causing the least amount of problems to himself and their operation. Firing them was his second best bet. He had plenty of maids for work, so they didn't mean much. He knew that they had hated him and his parents, and took every opportunity to show it without getting fired. Token would no longer stand for it.

Once the servants were taken care of, Token had to recollect his thoughts and get back to what he was originally doing. He needed to calm himself down before he did anything he might regret. He took a few deep breaths and tried to focus on something else. All he could think about was Clyde, laying down in his bed and deserving an explanation of what went wrong. The guilt was overwhelming, but Token would just have to deal with it. He headed back towards his bedroom to check on Clyde, passing by Tweek and Craig in the hallway. They looked as if they were ready to head out. "Where are you guys going?" Token asked. 

"We are heading into town for a little bit. We'll probably be back shortly," Craig replied with a shrug. "I've got to buy some tools and Tweek feels cooped up in the house." Craig reached for Tweek's hand. "He has never been much for staying indoors..."

"We'll come right back here! Gah! I don't want to go far!" Tweek took Craig's hand, allowing the thief to guide him out of the house. Token followed them to the door. 

"As long as you return soon..." Token called. 

"Watch Clyde while we're gone, okay?" 

Token nodded, closing the door once they were gone and immediately heading upstairs to do just that. He opened the door to his bedroom, and, as expected, Clyde was still fast asleep. Token walked over to the bookshelf beside the bed. He grabbed a book deemed long enough for the wait. Token settled down on the chaise, moving some of Clyde's blankets aside and leaning on a pillow. He wouldn't sit around and do nothing. He supposed reading could also take his mind off of the stress he was currently facing. It was an escape, at least.

 

~~~~

 

Tweek and Craig had been gone for hours. Token was given the task of watching over Clyde while they went into town. He could only imagine what might have happened to them. He figured that maybe they were simply taking their sweet time, but they had promised Token that they would return as soon as they bought what they needed. He couldn't take his mind off the possibility that Craig had gotten arrested or they had gotten into trouble. He knew Craig was smarter than that, but he was still bothered by that factor. 

Clyde woke up slowly. His body was still sore and he wondered just how long he was out for. His bright eyes flicked up to Token's worried face, and when Token noticed that Clyde was awake, he checked on his wounds. Clyde didn't need the care, but he accepted it anyway. He could tell that Token needed the comfort of doing something. He moved over in the bed so Token could sit on it and look over him. He frowned when Token did. He didn't like to see Token so concerned. 

"What's the problem?..." Clyde asked, his voice a mere whisper. 

"Tweek and Craig went into town. They haven't come back yet and they left a while ago." 

Token tensed up, his hand balling into a fist on the bedsheets. He stared at the floor, further upsetting Clyde when he faced away from him. Clyde hesitated, but moved his hand so it rested on top of Token's, holding it calmly to soothe him. Token turned back to him, sighing. "I can't afford to lose you too. You're too important." 

"That's a lie," Clyde chuckled awkwardly, but the face Token made told Clyde that he wasn't kidding. Clyde immediately stopped, and moved closer to Token. He couldn't possibly understand how serious the situation was, so he wouldn't press on. He accepted his fate, whatever that may be. Clyde tugged Token's shirt, trying to get the other boy to turn around. He gently eased Token down onto the bed, so they were laying right beside each other. They shared blank stares for what seemed like forever. Clyde's mind raced as he thought of what to do to make the situation better, but he came up with nothing. "They should be fine. I wasn't out for a long time... right?"

"They have been gone for four hours..." 

Clyde's eyes widened. He didn't think he had been asleep for that long. He could only hope that they were fine and only taking their sweet time getting back to the manor. He was livid at them for going off and leaving Token behind to fear for them. Token didn't deserve to be treated that way after all he provided for them. Once they returned, Clyde was going to make sure that they got a piece of his mind. That was, if they returned. Clyde couldn't be sure that they didn't get into danger, which put him in the exact same place as Token. 

"Listen, Token... I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused you. I don't even know what I've done to make this happen. Just- I'm so so sorry. You really don't deserve any of this! I-"

"No. Stop." Token silenced Clyde. "...I was well aware of what I was getting involved in. I put myself in this mess and there is not a single day that I regret it." He stared down at the expensive bedsheets between them. "I didn't like my old life. There was nothing for me where it was heading. My family is filthy rich and well respected all around. Being their offspring, of course I knew that the same would come to me. But I couldn't decide anything for myself. Nobility comes with a whole life planned out for you. Having all of this luxury and weath means nothing to me. It reminds me that I don't belong in my own life. Most of the higher class just learn to accept that and move on, but I can't do it... Meeting you for the first time... that was the best night of my life..." 

Clyde raised a brow at Token, who smiled sadly. He gripped the sheets and sighed. "You don't remember it. Hell, I didn't even think you understood back then. That's fine. Hopefully, you'll get that memory back." Token glanced back up at him, their eyes meeting. Clyde felt the familiar painful sensation in his head. He did recall something, but it was barely there. He couldn't make anything of it, and that frustrated him the most. Token frowned, obviously noting Clyde's change in expression. "You don't have to force yourself. I can live with that." Clyde only felt worse. He was unable to connect with Token. He couldn't share his sadness. 

They laid parallel to each other for a while, both of them completely silent. Clyde was trying to collect his thoughts and Token was fighting the urge to say something, anything that might make this better. It wasn't his job to tell Clyde about himself. Clyde had to figure things out on his own. As much as Token hated it, he would follow through. He just wished that he could give the brunet some assurance, but even if he could, he doubted that would mean anything to him.

Clyde watched Token. He wondered just what happened between them the first time they met. Token hardly gave him any hints, and Clyde was afraid to ask. He knew that he would only be shot down again or led further into confusion. The subject didn't appear to be one that Token wanted to bring up anyway. He could respect that, even if he didn't fully comprehend it. 

Both boys heard the door open, and Token shot up out of bed. He didn't know whether to be terrified or furious. He opened the door to his bedroom and made his way downstairs, Clyde following quickly after. Token grit his teeth as he headed towards the front door, ready to scold Tweek and Craig for being so late. 

"Just what do you think you're doing coming back here so late! I was worried sick-"

Token stepped back, Clyde accidentally bumping into him. Clyde peeked over Token's shoulder, questioning why he had stopped, but his eyes widened as he looked towards the front door.

"Holy shit! What happened?" Token cried.

Craig and Tweek stumbled into the front entrance, and each of them were holding an arm of what looked to be a boy their age. Craig slammed the door shut with his foot, and Tweek was shaking and silently cursing under his breath. Clyde stood beside Token, finally able to get a good view of the new arrival. The teen had the familiar messy tuft of blond hair that Clyde had recognized in his dream, and he appeared to be shorter and weaker than all of them. He was wearing a lousy outfit akin to what a prisoner might wear, but one of his pant legs was soaked in blood and the rest of him was covered in dirt. The boy hissed in pain as he limped into the house, recieving aid from Tweek, but eventually he spared a glance up at Clyde. The boy looked surprised to see him, but happy. 

"Clyde!" The teen shouted. "Thank God you're alive! Oh geez! We got into quite a fight back there!" The boy spoke with an odd accent. Clyde stared at him blankly, not sure what to do. "Clyde?" The unknown boy tilted his head, as if worried about him not answering. 

"Sorry Butters, but Clyde won't remember you," Craig said. "We don't know how, but he got amnesia." The new male, supposedly named Butters, squinted at Clyde. 

"What's an amnesia?" He asked. "Clyde? Hello? Are you gonna answer me?" Butters's confused face turned to one of distress. It hurt him when his friend didn't reply.

Clyde let out a groan of pain, his face contorting. Butters didn't look to be in very good condition, he was bleeding badly. "We found him on the outskirts of town," Craig explained to Token. "He must have escaped, if just barely." 

"Y-yeah!" Butters stuttered, focusing back on the main problem. "One of them big metal guys came n' shot me in the leg! It wasn't very nice. I don't got much else to say, but it hurt pretty bad!" Butters smiled, trying to make light of the situation. 

"Bring him up to my room..." Token muttered. "I can dress the wound..." Butters stopped Craig and Tweek before they could head up the stairs. Clyde took a step back as Butters turned to him. 

"Well, uh. You don't remember me n' all, but I hope ya know that I'm so glad to have found ya! Don't get yourself lost again, alright?" 

Before Clyde could even think about giving a proper answer, Butters was being dragged off. Token followed after, and, not knowing what else to do, so did Clyde. Token had Craig and Tweek lay Butters down on the bed. Token fetched the first aid kit from the private bathroom and pulled up Butters's pant leg. As was expected, there was plenty of blood. Token dug out a small pair of forceps from the kit. "I'm just going to pull out the bullet. This might hurt..." Before Butters could ask what "might" meant, Token dug the instrument into Butters's injury, making him cry out. Token tugged the bullet out, and Tweek comforted Butters so he wouldn't cry. Placing the bullet aside, Token quickly cleaned the hole that was left and wrapped Butters's leg. "Thank you, T-Token..." Butters sniffled. Butters was left to rest on the bed. Token put away the kit and tossed the bullet out the window, where it hopefully wouldn't be found. 

"Listen, Butters," Craig said. "You have to keep your mouth shut about Clyde, okay? He has a brain injury. He doesn't remember you, or any of the others. You cannot tell him about who he was or what happened to him. It will cause him massive pain in his head and would most likely knock him out or worse. He has to heal over time, so don't take it personally if he can't answer you or doesn't know you." Butters nodded his head to show he understood. 

"Does that mean I can't tell him about the-"

"Nothing, Butters." 

Clyde narrowed his eyes. "I'd appreciate it if you did tell me what happened. I can handle it! I swear! You say all of this is for my protection, but how do you expect me to go out and follow through with some plan that I don't even know? This is bullshit!" 

Everyone in the room was taken back by Clyde's outburst. They all went silent, except for Butters, who had a big dopey grin on his face. "That's the spirit I remember!" 

Clyde stepped out of the room, clearly unable to handle staying in there. Token quickly went after him, leaving Tweek and Craig to tend to Butters. Clyde sat in the middle of the staircase, Token making himself comfortable behind him. Clyde stared forwards, seemingly at nothing. Token pursed his lips, allowing Clyde to zone out. He reached forwards carefully, bringing his hands to the top of Clyde's head and gently pulling him back. He brushed Clyde's hair with his fingers. 

"I get it. This is hard..." 

"All the answers... They were right there..." 

"Yeah..." Token murmured. "You can't know. We can't afford to lose you again." 

"I don't know what you mean..." Clyde sniffed. A tear trailed down his face. He could have learned. He had the chance to ask and he didn't.

"Soon enough you will... It looks as if it'll be sooner than we originally thought as well." The ends of Token's lips curled as Clyde leaned back into him, relaxing. He wiped the tears from Clyde's face. "It's overwhelming... But you have us." 

Clyde closed his eyes and rested against the other male, and Token draped his arms over Clyde's shoulders. He kept having to remind himself that he was doing Clyde a favor by refusing to tell him, no matter how hard it was. He rested his head on top of Clyde's, staring at the wall across from the stairs and contemplating what they were supposed to do now. He listened to the muffled sounds of Craig, Tweek, and Butters conversing in his room. 

He had a warm feeling in him just sitting alone with Clyde. They were both rather comfortable, and neither wanted to move. He questioned what this meant for him, and where it would bring them. He had a sense of dread along with the warmth. He knew he shouldn't be feeling this way, it wouldn't end well. Looking at the brunet gave Token a longing for something normal and controlled. 

He needed Clyde to heal fast, before he could grow too attached.


	6. Chapter 6

It had been three days since Butters arrived. Clyde hadn't seen much of the blonde, but that was mostly because the other boys were trying to prevent him from doing so. Butters was still healing, so he had been confined to his own guest bedroom where Token or Tweek would bring him meals or check on his wounds. Clyde wasn't allowed to step near the room and Craig had no need to enter, so they spent quite some time together. Clyde didn't necessarily mind Craig's presence, but Craig always looked unmoved or careless about everything. His attitude was normally bitter or bored, and the only time he ever looked genuinely happy was when he talked about Tweek or when they were around each other. It didn't take Clyde long to pick up on their relationship.

Craig had trained Clyde on a daily basis in multiple fields. Clyde had managed to impress Craig with how fast he learned everything, but Clyde just naturally understood it. Some of Craig's lessons were second nature to Clyde. Overall, Clyde was impressed wirh himself and his accomplishments. He could fight with a sword on sheer instinct and his scavenging skills were phenomenal. Often times, Clyde tried to strike up conversations with Craig. The thief would occasionally show some kindness and talk with Clyde, but a majority of the time Clyde would just recieve blunt answers that left him disappointed in his tutor. 

Their swords had clashed for the upteenth time that week, the sounds from the silver blades echoing with a marvelous ring. The focus on their fighting was practically lost from all the time they spent working on it, so Clyde decided to try and talk with Craig. 

"So... You and Tweek?"

"What about us?"

Clyde clicked his tongue. Craig knew damn well what he meant. Clyde could tell he just liked messing with him. 

"Well. You two are very close... What brought you to him?"

"I was captured."

"captured?"

"Yup."

Clyde rolled his eyes. "What happened?" He sighed. He got nowhere in a conversation with Craig when he asked all the wrong questions. Craig wasn't always like that with him, but the thief appeared to be amused by his frustration. When thee opportunity struck, he would take it. Deciding to cut Clyde some slack, he actually explained. He was bored of sword fighting, and Tweek had told him that he was a good story teller. 

"I was exploring the forest and trying to find the nearest town. I knew I was lost, but sometimes it just doesn't matter. As long as I got myself somewhere, I was happy. Anyways, I didn't think hard enough about where I was going. I happened upon a trap and ended up dangling in the air by my leg." 

Clyde snickered at Craig's admittance to failure, but Craig didn't seem to mind. 

"A group of men surrounded me, all of them covered in war paint. They tossed me in this little makeshift cage. It was a small thing, definitely easy to break out of. Though, instead of doing that, I decided to stick around to see where I'd go." Craig shrugged, Clyde now giving Craig all of his attention. 

"Did you see him at first?" 

"No. The tribe members kept me on a tight lock-up. There were plenty of guards. Eventually we met each other through rather unexpected means. He was asked to interrogate me, but poor Tweek was too nervous. I had half expected them to do some weird sort of ritual and sacrifice me to their crazy entity, but they turned out to actually be decent. I got to stay with them for a while, which certainly helped me hide from authorities. In exchange I taught Tweek sleight of hand and tactics to help him calm down." 

At this point, both boys just sat down on the grass, swords by their sides. Clyde could tell that Craig liked talking about Tweek. "So, things developed from there?"

"Mhm." 

Clyde was hit so hard with Craig's blunt response that he nearly recoiled. He pushed his utter irritation with Craig to the side. "What do you like the most about him? I mean, you two are like polar opposites. He frets over every little thing while you just can't seem to give a shit." 

"I suppose I was attracted to his determination and strength." Craig drew in the dirt as he spoke. "His rages are very impressive... He's absolutely adorable..." Unbeknownst to Craig, a smile began forming on his face. "It feels really nice when someone cares about you, you know? It's wonderful to believe that no matter how much of a piece of shit you are, even if you are lowly scum that means nothing to the world... someone still trusts you and finds things that you didn't believe existed inside of you." 

Clyde began to tear up. He couldn't help it. He saw the way that they interacted with each other. Every word from Craig was the truth. Watching them together sometimes gave Clyde a sense of longing that he didn't even know how to fix. He smiled as he listened to Craig. He wished that he could be that happy with someone. 

"Tweek is my sense of home. Staring into those eyes of his gives me hope that even though I'm just some thief, I mean so much to him. I don't think I could possibly let him know how much he really matters in my life. He's the only good I have left..." 

"Aww..." Clyde sniffled, wiping his eye. "You're a real poet when you want to be!" 

"Shut up, asshole." 

"And there it goes!"

Craig frowned. "As long as you don't tell Tweek about all this sappy crap, we're good. Okay?" 

Clyde gave a nod of understanding. As much as he wanted to let Tweek know about everything, he wasn't that evil. Besides, he didn't want to get beat up or killed any time soon. Craig stood up and got his sword ready. 

"The break is over. Ready to get back to it?" 

Clyde let out a groan, but got up anyway and got to work.

 

~~~~

 

Clyde stood in front of Butters's room. The door loomed over him as his thoughts invaded. The one place he wasn't allowed to go somehow managed to sit right in front of Clyde, tempting him to walk in. He had been caught standing in front of the door multiple times by the others, and they always just took him away and distracted him with something else. Clyde couldn't help it, there were so many answers behind that door to questions Clyde was just begging to ask. His curiosity came over him often. 

From when he had first met Butters, he received a fair idea on what the blond was like. He was cheerful, especially despite the situation they found him in. Conversations he heard about Butters told him that the boy wasn't particularly intelligent. With that, Clyde thought that maybe he could try to trick Butters into answering his questions. The blond would have no idea that he was giving Clyde exactly what he wanted, and no one could blame him for his ignorance. 

The plan was simple. He was going to walk in, demand answers from Butters, and see where that got them. He couldn't seem to stay away from Butters's room no matter what he did. He needed to find out eventually, all the secrets were bothering him. He nervously anticipated what he was going to say to the blond. How would he react? 

"What are you doing?"

Clyde was snapped from his thoughts when he heard the voice behind him. "H-hello Craig..." Clyde greeted nervously. Craig had his arms crossed, a stern expression plastered on his face. Clyde coughed a bit, trying to think of an excuse to be near that room. He only drew up blanks. There was nothing to cover him. "I just really want to ask him!" Clyde whimpered, begging Craig to let him in. Craig sighed, lowering his head. 

"Fine..." 

Clyde couldn't believe what he had heard. He furrowed his brows, expecting Craig to go back on it. When no indication of that happened, Clyde could only be more suspicious. "Why are you letting me enter now?" Clyde asked, clearly skeptical. "Especially after three days of shutting me out and telling me I couldn't enter."

"Well, we hoped that you would remember on your own," Craig explained. "But three days have gone by and so far nothing new has come to you, has it? We are running out of time anyway. As much as Token wants to protect you and care for your health and such, we can't keep you hanging."

"Yes!" 

"However!"

"Shit."

"I am limiting you to three questions. None of them can be about you. And you can't ask Butters about what relevance he held to you either." Craig raised his finger, waving it at Clyde. "I'll go in there with you just to make sure that doesn't happen." Craig recieved a small growl of disapproval from Clyde, but the boy nodded his head. 

With that, Craig opened the door. Butters was asleep, cuddling up to the pillow beside him. He didn't stir when they entered. Craig made it all the way to his bed before Butters began to wake up. He nudged him, making the boy's eyes fly open. 

"Guh, wha? Oh! Hey Craig!" Butters gave the thief a friendly smile, which, unfortunately for the blond, wasn't returned. It wasn't until Butters sat up that he noticed Clyde was also in the room. He jumped at the sight of his friend. "Clyde! Aren't you not supposed to be here? I was kinda told to tell ya to leave if you came in. Uh, you shoo now!" Butters waved his arms to gesture shooing him off. 

"It's okay, Butters. Clyde just has a few questions for you." Craig was given a look of absolute confusion from the wounded boy. 

"Didn't you tell me to not answer any questions he had? And to not talk to me? Oh geez, is this a test?" Butters frowned, believing that he had failed already. 

"No. It isn't," Craig assured Butters, making the other boy perk right back up. 

"Oh! Then come right in. I don't mind a few questions!" 

Clyde nervously walked towards the bed. He didn't actually know what to ask the blond. He didn't think he would get this far. Craig was watching him carefully, so he couldn't ask Butters about anything too personal. His mind raced as he tried to think of a question that might actually get him somewhere in his search for completion. 

That was when he remembered his flashback with Butters. They weren't alone in the vague memory. He was sitting with Butters and someone else who was telling them something. Though, he had no idea who the person talking was. He supposed that Craig wouldn't step between asking his identity, so he could give it a shot and hope that Butters understood. After all, it wasn't about Butters or himself.

"Umm.... Hi, Butters..." Clyde muttered. He stepped closer to the bed as Butters waited patiently for a question. Butters was too kind to him, it just made Clyde feel awkward that he didn't know him very well. "I do sort of remember you, just not very well. But, in the one memory I do have with you, there was another person. It's kind of hard to describe him, but I think he had brown hair and his eyes didn't face the same direction..." 

"Oh, that's Jimmy! He's real fun to be around," Butters giggled. "He tells lots of stories n' such. Great source of entertainment."

Clyde began to picture Jimmy in his head. He certainly was a strange-looking boy. His hair stuck out in numerous places and it appeared that his legs didn't work, or he just didn't know how to use them. Their conversation had gotten clearer as well. Jimmy, was, in fact, telling a story to them at the time. Clyde hummed, nodding his head. He had already gotten a clear image of a crewmate he hadn't even met yet, which he counted as a win.

"Two questions to go," Craig said. 

"Not true," Clyde responded. "I never asked Butters who he was, I just gave a description of him and Butters told me anyway." He smirked cleverly at Craig. Butters shrunk down in the bed and gave Craig an apologetic look. 

"Alright, three. But you are going to make them quick." 

Clyde thought very hard about his questions. He tapped his finger on the night stand as Butters kept his mouth shut. He didn't want to get tricked again. He had already disappointed Craig. 

"Where did you come from?" Clyde asked. "I mean when you got here. Did you escape somewhere?"

"Yup! I escaped a small one-cell prison block in town. It wasn't easy, and I got shot at, but that was obvious enough."

"If you came from a small prison block, then that means that you must have been split up from everyone else. Where did they go?" Clyde was beginning to grow weary. He didn't know any of these people, but he felt as if he had responsibility for them.

"I have no idea! They were rounded up and brought somewhere out of town. I was alone in the prison block, probably because I wasn't suspected of doin' anything really bad. I got the key to my cell and hopped on outta there. Then hobbled here with the help of Tweek and Craig. That wasn't fun." 

Clyde felt his blood go cold. Token's parents did mention that they were busy in the king's court, and he had been training with Craig as if his life depended on it for seemingly no reason. He turned to the thief, who locked eyes with him. Craig looked as if he knew exactly what Clyde was going to say. 

"Final question. This one is for you, Craig." 

"Go on..." Craig mumbled, staring the brunet down. 

"Have I been training for a massive prison break?..." 

Butters sank down further in his bed. He didn't like the way that the two other teens were looking at each other. Clyde felt the familiar sense of betrayal in his gut and Craig was as still as a statue. He dreaded the reply because he knew the answer. He just wanted the confirmation that he had been working toward the impossible this entire time. He needed to know that far too much was expected of him, and that he was getting dragged into something big. Craig's quiet voice struck him hard.

 

"... Yes..."


	7. Chapter 7

Yes.

That one word was all it took. Clyde instantly felt sick. His head pounded and he wanted to fall over from the pain. All Clyde heard was ringing as he dropped to the floor. He heard the muffled sound of Craig calling out for help and Butters yelling. Within seconds, Token's face was in his, anxious and astonished. He felt himself being lifted as his consciousness began to fade. He rocked back and forth in what he assumed to be Token's arms as he closed his eyes, eventually blacking out. 

When Token had finally laid Clyde down in the bed, he glared daggers at Craig. Tweek stepped in front of the thief to protect him, but even he was shaking. "What did you do? I only told you to keep him away from that room!" Token examined Clyde carefully. "He must have been overwhelmed by something. Too much stress at one moment with his head wound must have made him pass out." Token brushed his fingers through Clyde's hair in a caring fashion, sitting down on the bed beside his sleeping form. 

"He knows about the prison break now. There's nothing we can do. He had to have found out eventually, better now than later. When would you tell him? We need his help." Craig made a fair point, but Token wasn't going to have it. 

"When he is fully healed!" Token seethed. 

"And when do you expect him to fully heal?"

Token went quiet. He frowned, his eyes shifting to Clyde, who moved his head closer to Token's leg. Token continued to just pet him gently, hoping to soothe him. 

Craig narrowed his eyes. "You can't keep him, Token." 

"I did purchase him, so he is mine," Token replied smoothly. "I told him I would take care of him. He may be part of you guys, but he is still my slave." Token cringed at his wording. He hated to sound like that was a good thing, but he reminded himself that it was to protect Clyde. "I swear, if you hurt him before then, I won't let you take him to the prison break." 

Everyone went silent for what seemed like the longest time. 

"I-I'll talk to him!" Tweek stepped in. "W-we won't interfere! Right Craig?" Tweek turned to Craig, swamp green eyes locking with his icy blue. Craig did nothing for a moment, but he eventually nodded. Tweek took Craig's hand, leading the way out. "Take care of Clyde!" Tweek chimed, closing the door behind him and leaving Token and Clyde alone. 

Tweek began leading Craig down the hallway, the raven-haired boy not wanting to protest purely out of curiosity. He liked when Tweek got serious, it made it hard to take him that way. He just seemed to be cuter when he was upset about something. Tweek closed the door to their guest room. Craig continued to stare at Tweek in silence as the blond appeared to be waiting for something. 

"Well?!" Tweek snapped. 

"Well what?" Craig asked, genuinely confused. What did Tweek want with him?

"Well what was that all about? You said that you would keep Clyde away from the door! Y-you had to just do that! Rrgh! Now he knows about the break and now he's lying in bed because he passed out!" Tweek narrowed his eyes at Craig, who couldn't help but feel attacked by just about everyone that day. 

"You really think he could stay away forever? Of course he'd eventually go in." Craig placed his hands on Tweek's shoulders. "Look, hun. We have to think about Clyde, yeah, but what about the others? Our friends? They only have so much time before their trial. If Butters had said anything about it, they are already screwed." Craig pecked Tweek on the cheek, making the blond grunt. 

"God damn it Craig! You're right..." Tweek frowned, wrapping his arms around the thief. Craig returned the hug with a sigh, rocking them both gently side to side. 

"I know... That's the hardest part..." 

Craig began to hum, which helped to cease Tweek's anxious shaking. Tweek took deep breaths, leaning into Craig. Craig walked over to their bed with Tweek still hanging onto him, continuing to hum a soft tune. Craig lied down on the bed, boots and all, with Tweek following after. Craig had to keep the beast at bay. He rubbed Tweek's back, holding him close. He wouldn't be able to move, but Craig didn't care. Tweek mattered more to him than that. 

 

~~~~

 

Clyde slowly opened his eyes with a groan. He wondered how long he was out for. When he awoke, he found Token leaning over him, their faces close together. Clyde's face turned red as Token realized he was awake. "Oh! Hello," he said. "I'm checking your head..." Token clarified, his voice wavering as his face heated up. "I'm surprised it hasn't started bleeding again..." 

"Mmm..." Clyde hummed. He reached up, wrapping an arm behind Token's back and pushing him down on top of him. Token let out a noise of protest, but he lied down anyway. Clyde stretched out, taking up space on the bed and smiling when Token rolled off of him. "You do too much for me... Just stop..." 

Token wanted to say something, but eventually he just gave up. He wasn't going to argue with Clyde when the other male wasn't fully aware. He rested his head on the pillow, Clyde purring beside him. "There you go... Get some rest. You deserve it." Clyde gently patted Token's head, who inhaled deeply. He wanted to relax, as Clyde was trying to get him to do, but he couldn't manage it. He had too much on his mind. By looking at Clyde, he could tell he wasn't alone. 

"What does he see in me? Really?" Clyde stared up at the ceiling. 

"Obviously not the same thing I do. Craig does care about you. He is just scared. We all are..." Token frowned. 

"Well... What do you see in me?" Clyde asked, beginning to play with the bedsheets. Token uttered a half-suppressed laugh. 

"I see an interesting person with a knack for getting himself into trouble. I guess that's why you ended up here, and where you were before." Clyde seemed disappointed with that answer. "But," Token continued sharply. "You are also caring, at least to me. You are broken, and you need me to fix you. You have your weaknesses, and you aren't afraid to cry in front of me. Your curiosity is astounding, and you can be clever at times. I wouldn't say intelligent, but... you try." Token recieved a playful punch. 

"More importantly, I'm yours," Clyde mumbled. Token tensed up. He didn't know what to say. Clyde couldn't have possibly believed he was still a slave, could he? What with all his training, that seemed obvious enough. 

"You-"

"I know. I'm not what I think I am. I don't care. I want to know when I get my own opinion. I am going to break them out. But I promise, when I do, I'll come right back to you." Clyde turned and smiled at Token. Token let out a shaky breath, a mixture of happiness and fear that he might not come back. His eyes went half-lidded. 

"We'll see about that when you get your memory back." 

Clyde leaned into Token, the other boy yawning and making himself comfortable. He could only imagine what types of things he did before getting amnesia. By the way people continued to describe the old Clyde, he must have been a mere sliver of the man that he used to be. He figured he should be ashamed, but he honestly didn't mind. He didn't want to be some huge hero or leader. He was good enough for Token, and Token didn't care about him being glorified or dangerous. 

Thinking about that only brought him back to his conversation with Craig. Craig said nothing but negative things about himself, but he told Clyde that it didn't even matter because he knew he was loved. Clyde warmed up inside. Was that this feeling? The feeling of being the equivalent of dirt but still understanding that someone cared about him? Clyde turned to Token, who had actually fallen asleep. He smiled. 

Truly, it was. 

 

~~~~

 

A knock on the door was certainly not how Token expected to be woken up, but he wouldn't complain. The boy at Clyde, who was holding onto him as he slept peacefully. Token pulled himself away from the sleeping form as quietly and slowly as he could muster. The knocking grew more urgent, and he quickly became annoyed. He opened the door slowly. 

"What?" He asked. He looked up to see one of his maids staringat him, her eyes as wide as saucers. 

"There are guards at the front door! They are talking about convicts!" 

Token quickly got into action. He got changed into a fresh set of clothes, setting the ones from yesterday aside to be taken care of later. He tried to stay quiet as to not wake Clyde. He left his bedroom and closed the door behind him, heading downstairs to see what all the fuss was about. Just as the maid had said, two guards in shining armor were patiently waiting at the door. Their posture was perfect, most likely rehearsed. 

"We have come to inform the town of three pirates that have escaped imprisonment. If you know anything about this, do not hesitate to send a message to the court." 

Token listened to the most likely recited public service announcement. One guard handed Token four flyers, which he folded and put in his pocket. The guards backed away from the door. "Is that all?" Token asked. 

"We have been told that, if there is any concern, we are available to search homes. However, if we have not captured the three convicts within three days, the house search will be mandatory. We hope that it isn't too much of an issue."

"Not at all," Token lied. He leaned on the door.

"Would you care for a house search?"

"No thank you, not today." 

"Well then. Good day to you, sir." The guards turned around simultaneously, marching away from Token's house in unison. Token closed the door quickly, his heart pounding. 

"Shit..." he muttered under his breath. There had to be a place to hide everyone while the guards were searching houses. Fortunately, he had three days to plan. Token toned down, contemplating ways to go about this. He took the flyers out of his pocket, reading them over. They were wanted posters, with massive rewards for their heads. Token was nervous. He could have them go with Tweek to their tribe. Hopefully, they could hide there without a problem. Unfortunately, that was a long trip, and certainly not one that Butters would be able to take with his leg. 

Token knocked on everyone's door to wake them up. Craig and Tweek came out, wondering what the urgency was for. He had to go up to Clyde and shake the poor boy awake, which he hated himself for afterwards. Eventually, he got them all to meet in Butters's room. Butters didn't mind them all coming to visit him again, but he was quickly concerned when he saw Token's expression. 

"Alright... I know you all might be wondering what's wrong."

An exchange of head nods proved him correct.

"Not too long ago, two guards approached the front door. They're looking for pirates."

Tweek let out a cry, shaking vigorously. Craig held him to prevent him from freaking out. Butters squealed, ducking partially under the covers of his bed. Clyde didn't get the danger of their situation, but he knew it wasn't good. "Shh! Okay, currently they are searching for three people, and only two of them are here. Which means we have an ally out there somewhere." 

Token remained strict and focused. "They want to search houses, but they were decent enough to tell everyone ahead of time. In three days, they are going to come here. My plan was to have you all flee to Tweek's tribe, where I doubt they'll follow you. Tweek, you can lead the way, right?" He was content when the blond gave him a thumbs up. "Good. You'll have to be careful with Butters. He can't go as fast. You'll have to leave tonight if you want a chance at escaping ahead of time and being there before the search." 

Clyde let out a sigh. He hated to see his friends go after just meeting them. He supposed that Craig and Butters were the ones being hunted for, as Tweek wasn't a criminal. Token directed them to the kitchen so they could pack up food rations for the trip. Clyde remained by Token, who didn't appear to like that he was being so close. Clyde wondered if he had done something wrong, his sad eyes boring holes into Token. Token avoided him for the day, hoping that Clyde would catch on. Unfortunately, he shouldn't have expected him to be that smart. 

"What did I do wrong?" Clyde finally asked. 

"You didn't do anything wrong..." Token responded, his shoulders tense. He bit his lip. "I need to show you something..." 

Clyde furrowed his brow. Token gestured for him to follow, which Clyde didn't hesitate to do. Token led Clyde into the dining room. Clyde watched as Token fished out what looked to be a thick folded up piece of paper from his front pocket. Token unfolded the paper to reveal that it was, in fact, four flyers. Token laid them oit on the table, Clyde snatching them up. 

The first flyer appeared to be just a note from the court, informing citizens of the upcoming date of their home search and letting them know what was happening. The second flyer had a picture of what was most definitely Butters, his giddy smile plastered on the paper with his small tuft of blond hair sticking out in all directions. Butters's name was written on the paper, along with a brief description and a minor bounty.

The third flyer had a mysterious-looking boy on the front. He felt as if he recognized him immediately, some minor memories returning. The boy had darker blond hair than Butters, and he wasn't smiling in the picture. His eyes were a deep blue and patches of dirt were on parts of him. The name beneath his picture read "Kenny McCormick" in big letters, another brief description written under that. The bounty on him was heavy; Clyde was impressed. He assumed that the fourth flyer must have been Craig, as the thief was still on the run from authority.

However, when Clyde turned to the next flyer, his hands began to tremble. He stared at the poster in absolute horror. Token saw his face, his own expression darkening. The brown hair and light chestnut eyes instantly recognizable. Clyde read the name, and then the massive bounty. He dropped the flyer on the floor. Token moved behind him to catch him in case he fainted, but it never happened. Clyde's wide eyes met Token's. 

"I'm sorry..." Token murmured. 

 

"I-I'm a pirate captain?!"


	8. Chapter 8

Every hour that ticked by until the night was slow and painful. Time seemed to crawl as tension built up in the manor. Token did his best to direct everyone to places that they could get tools, medical supplies, and food. Butters had attempted to cheer everyone up, but the house only continued to reek of misery. What with them needing to flee, the prison break was held off for an even longer period of time, which Craig was not fond of. They had no choice in the matter. They were going to have to stay in the forest with Tweek's tribe until the search was over. 

The one person who hated this the most was Clyde. He was still getting over the fact that he was a captain at one point. He used to have full control over an entire crew. He didn't necessarily mind being Token's servant now, but he used to be a leader and a criminal. The thought was terrifying. His head was on the line for things he didn't even remember doing, crimes he had never committed. 

Clyde pondered how he turned out the way he was. He doubted that as a leader he would be burying himself into someone else for protection. He didn't think he'd cry as much either. "No," he thought. "I didn't change. I forced myself to act different as a captain." Clyde suspected that he suppressed all of his inner motions and fears, creating an almost impenetrable shell. He made himself behave confidently to mask his vulnerability, which couldn't have been easy. With no memory and placed in a low position, Clyde must have broken that shell he built up over time, exposing his true person. While Clyde may not have had any memory of this, he understood himself well enough to know that was most likely the case. 

Another person who seemed to be struggling with this sudden change of plans was Token. He was unable to go with them due to his responsibilities at home. He had to make sure they got away safely and destroy any evidence of them being there in the first place. He also had to keep an eye out for the third escaped convict, wherever he may be. It was unknown how far Kenny could have gone. Token had a feeling he would go nowhere near the town, which was probably the best and most logical decision. Token wouldn't be able to keep him at the manor. He would have to find some way to hide him if he did locate him, or send him after Craig's group. 

But, more importantly, he needed to find the damn pirate.

 

~~~~

The sun was beginning to go down when the party had almost finished packing. Tweek, being overly anxious, packed almost everything he could get his hands on. Each random item was a "just in case" for the oddest scenario his poor fritzy mind could invent. Craig rarely opposed it, allowing Tweek to just get what would make him happy with a mere "are you sure that you'll need that, darling?" Or "Honey, you'll need that load lightened for the trip. Why not set this thing aside?" Clyde questioned why Craig didn't outright tell him "no", but upon closer inspection he learned that, with Craig, actions spoke louder than words. He was amused, to say the least. 

As Tweek would fetch a new item, Craig would comment about it vaguely. Tweek would get frustrated, and Craig would have to accept it with a sigh. However, when Tweek turned around and bent over to collect another object, Craig would reach into Tweek's bag and steal the previous one, holding it behind him or casting it aside. Tweek hardly paid attention to it, in his own fit of worry. Clyde doubted Tweek would even remember putting things in his bag in the first place. Craig noticed Clyde catch on to what he was doing, sending a smirk the brunet's way. Clyde nearly died of laughter.

"I don't see what's so funny about being attacked in a clearing in broad daylight!" Tweek grumbled. "That's why we need this!" He held up a small mirror. "See? We can use the sunlight to blind enemies! Gah! But what if they're already blind? Ack! I didn't think this through-" 

"Relax, honey..." Craig purred. "We can always just attack the enemies. We don't need this now, do we?" 

"Y-y-yes we do, Craig!" Tweek pouted.

"Fine... You can bring it if you want..." 

"Thanks, babe!" Tweek smiled, putting the mirror away and turning around to grab something else. In a flash, Craig reached into Tweek's bag and swiped the mirror, tossing it into a seperate sack before moving his hands right back to where they were. Clyde had to admire Craig. He was an asshole, but he did make a good boyfriend. 

When packing was done, all that was left to do was wait. Tweek offered to go outside and scout around for traps. Despite knowing that there were no traps, Craig encouraged him to do a good job at protecting them with a kiss on the cheek. As soon as Tweek went outside and got to work, Craig dragged the sack that he had been placing all of Tweek's random items in out of the dining room. Clyde had to help due to how heavy the bag was. "Damn!" Clyde grunted. "He really expected to be able to carry all of this?" 

"Don't underestimate him," Craig stated, actually surprising Clyde with how quick he was to reply. "Tweek has some incredible strength. Hell, he can lift me and he most likely could lift you. But there's no way he'll be able to keep up carrying all this junk along with him. Don't worry about him getting upset. He packs frantically so he probably won't even remember most of this crap when we get going." Clyde shrugged his shoulders. He spent half an hour helping Craig put away the useless stuff that Tweek snagged. Craig had told him about how he was bringing extra knives along juat in case, to which Clyde called Craig a dirty hypocrite. 

"Tweek's people might not be accepting of newcomers at first, so we are going to have to be extra careful." 

"Says the one who stole their leader's son." 

"Hey, they let me have him," Craig replied bitterly. "I didn't even steal him this time. He wanted to come with me and his parents allowed it." Clyde rolled his eyes, recieving a middle finger from the raven-haired boy. "Anyway, if we are in their part of the forest, it will most likely be littered with traps. Tweek will be able to lead us safely to the tribe. If you follow him and do as he says the closer we get to it, there should be no problem." 

"Are they all barbarians or something?" Clyde asked, raising a brow. "I'm just wondering if all of them have massive amounts of strength like you say Tweek has."

"Not all of them, no. They are split up into sections based on skill sets. There are trappers, healers, entertainers, warriors like Tweek, and the leaders. Tweek would count for the leader section, but I don't think his parents trust him enough yet to not get completely concerned about every little problem. That's also kind of why they wanted me to join them. They saw how I could calm him down and now probably see me as some weird tribe-like equivalent of a 'mate'." Craig made gestures with his fingers, Clyde letting out a snort. 

"That's probably the most I have heard you speak in one setting. We got progress here! If only you talked this much about something that wasn't Tweek." 

"I could recite you the plan of how we are going to go through with the prison break, but you probably wouldn't be able to comprehend it." 

"Fuck off 'mate'." 

"Go fuck yourself." 

Clyde snickered, turning his attention to something else. His mood changed instantly when he saw the light pink and orange sky. The sun told him that he didn't have much time left. He would have to leave soon, and he wasn't sure if he was ready for that. Craig realized that Clyde was staring outside, patting his shoulder. "Are you okay?" He asked. Clyde didn't answer. Craig understood the silence very well, deciding to just walk away. 

Clyde looked out at the slight hint of stars in the sky. 

He only had so much time. 

 

~~~~

 

Butters had spent a few hours recieving help from Token because he still wasn't positive that he could use his wounded leg yet. The blond was worried, but still somewhat compliant. After a check up and an examination of his leg, Token told Butters to walk around, just to see if he would need support. Butters looked fine, but Token brought him a cane just in case. Butters moved a lot easier once he had it, giggling with glee. "Gee, thanks Token! I didn't think I'd get very far without this here cane!" Butters tapped the cane on the floor happily. 

"You should be fine in about a week," Token assured Butters. "The bullet didn't go in too deep so the skin will fix itself quickly." When he was sure that Butters could move on his own, Token went to check on everyone else, or he at least told himself that. He really just wanted to be around Clyde before the brunet had to leave him. 

He found Clyde in the dining room, twirling a fork in his fingers out of sheer boredom and lightly tapping it on the tablecloth. His mind was obviously elsewhere, as he hardly acknowledged Token when he entered. It was only when Clyde realized the person who enetered was Token that his gaze snapped to the other male. Token proceeded towards Clyde slowly, almost as if Clyde were a small animal that he had to gain the trust of. 

"Hello..." Token smiled. Clyde didnt return it. He instead turned his attention back to the fork and the tablecloth. Token could tell he was listening. His lips became a flat line again. "...I know you don't want to go-"

"I don't want to leave you," Clyde interjected with a whine. Token sighed, shaking his head. Sometimes Clyde sounded just like a child. 

"It won't be forever," Token mumbled, placing his hand on Clyde's shoulder. Clyde tilted his head, resting his cheek on the top of Token's hand. "You'll come right back as soon as the check is over. You can also get some training done where we won't have to worry about you getting caught." 

Clyde stared up at Token with uncertainty. He wanted to believe that everything would be fine, but so far life had chewed him up and spit him out. How could he be sure it wouldn't merely throw him away? Token sat down beside Clyde, moving the chair closer so Clyde could make himself comfortable on Token's shoulder. Token rubbed the brunet's back. 

"Did you remember to pack for Butters?" 

"Yeah. His bag is by the stairs." Clyde's voice was practically emotionless. Token felt hurt. 

"Well... You said you would come back for me... after the prison break... Who's to say you won't come back from this?" Token said, trying to get Clyde to perk up. This wasn't Clyde's typical happy spirit, which was bothering him. "I understand you don't want to do this, but it's for your safety. I'm protecting you by doing this. You hate it... I hate it... But it has to be done..." Token frowned. He was starting to give up hope on trying to get Clyde to think positively. "It's hard for me too, you know..." 

"I know... I'm sorry. I was being selfish..." Clyde admitted. 

"It's fine. I think it's sweet that you care." Token draped an arm over Clyde, but the brunet brushed him off. Clyde stood up, moving towards the window. The sky had now become pitch black, stars speckled across the dark sheet, illuminating their way. Craig, Tweek, and Butters entered the room, each with their own bag and Butters holding himself up with his cane. 

"Are you ready to go?" Craig asked. 

Clyde didn't speak, but he nodded his head. He would be back soon. He would get his crew and he would return for Token. He'd kidnap the noble if he had to. He promised himself that he would succeed, and he would do it as soon as possible. He refused to keep Token waiting. 

Token opened the front door for the party, exchanging nods with Craig, Tweek, and Butters. Clyde stepped out, staring at the cobblestone pathway that led into town. Light from the house illuminated the pathway, casting shadows on the rest of the rock. Clyde stood where he was, just outside of the door. The rest of his party stopped, turning around to wait for the brunet. 

Clyde didn't want to go further. He felt as if he were missing something. He clung onto a simple need that had to be fulfilled before he left. Clyde solemnly let his bag slide off of his shoulders. Token's brow furrowed as he wondered what had come over Clyde in the few seconds he had been outside. 

Clyde quickly turned on his heel, running back up the steps and practically tackling Token. He wrapped his arms around the other boy, who was beyond shocked. Tears flooded from Clyde's eyes as he held Token close. He swore he could hear the other male sniffle. Token's arms eventually went around him. He rocked gently, neither of them wanting to let go. Clyde had buried his face in Token's shirt, drenching it in tears. Token hardly cared. He rubbed his eye with one hand as he finally loosened his grip on Clyde. When Token let go, Clyde finally felt slightly more satisfied with himself. 

Clyde eventually pulled away, wiping his face with his sleeve. They both stared at each other in silence for what seemed like ages. "I will come back... And I will bring you with me the next time I leave..." Clyde whispered. 

"You'd better..." 

Clyde lifted up his bag, pulling it over his shoulders as he finally followed after everyone else. Token stood at the door, watching as the group walked off into the woods. He stared up at the moon that illuminated their way, silently praying to whoever was listening that they would be safe. Clyde's promise echoed in his head as the sound of their footsteps disappeared into the night. 

They were going to be okay. 

They'd better be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy this chapter was a doozy to write. I had a lump in my throat at the last paragraph. I love hearing about all the theories in the comments! They really encourage me to write this! There is still so much to be answered! How did Clyde end up a slave? What was Token's amazing memory of the old Clyde? Where the bloody heck is Kenny?? I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll be sure to keep it updated!


	9. Chapter 9

"Come on Butters."

"Well, darn! I'm going as fast as I can!" 

Despite Clyde's original thought, Tweek had turned out to be an excellent guide. The blond was always alert, which was actually needed in the wild. Craig remained in the back of the group, assisting Butters and offering protection to the rear of the party. Butters was placed behind Clyde, who briskly followed after Tweek. The only problem that Clyde had was the occasional moment that Butters's cane would end up pinning down the back of Clyde's shoe and pushing it off his heel. Every time that happened, Clyde would snap his head back to Butters and the other boy would just give him an apologetic look. 

Clyde had expected the forest to be incredibly dark, what with trees blocking out the sky that was pitch black anyway. Fortunately, the nearly full moon was bright enough to show the party where they were going. Clyde would notice Tweek glance up at the stars, probably using them to navigate his way to their destination. When asked about it, Tweek was happy to explain. 

"The stars change all the time," Tweek said. "Craig taught me how to navigate using the sky. If I didn't know how to find my way home, I would have never left in the first place. There are a bunch of these little constellations and stuff to help. Craig tells me that there are even little stories behind them. Right, hun?"

Craig shrugged. "I know some of them." He pointed up straight ahead. "The brightest star in the sky over there is called the north star. You can always find it year round." Craig gestured to a bigger constellation. "You see that box there?" Upon closer inspection, Clyde did happen to notice an odd-looking box not too far away from the north star. "That's the big dipper. Most people who don't even know astrology can find it easily. It belongs to a bigger constellation called ursa major. I don't know much about the history behind it, but it dates very far back." 

Clyde pointed up at another star. "What's that one? And that other one over there?" 

"Calm down. I didn't say I knew all of them!" 

Craig traced his finger along a ragged line near ursa major. "The constellation above the big dipper is known as draco. Draco means dragon. It's pretty cool. These stars are just about always in the sky year-round. But that one over there is Pegasus. That one only appears in the autumn. And aquarius." 

Clyde nodded his head as he listened to Craig talk about stars. He hoped that with the beautiful view Clyde could take his mind off of leaving Token behind. Unfortunately, he knew he couldn't do it, it didn't matter if there were a million stars or a million distractions. He only cared that Token was all alone back at the manor, waiting for him to return. He could only imagine what he was going through. Clyde gripped his elbows, refusing to allow himself to break down. He had only been gone for a few hours, but it was the fact that he knew how long they would be away for that bothered him. Token sacrificed so much for him. He would have to take him along when they escape. They would sail off into the sunset and Token wouldn't ever have to be lonely again. He'd go on adventures and hunt for treasure with Token leading the crew alongside him. Clyde had zoned out thinking about it, a big dopey grin plastered on his face. 

"Hey!"

Clyde was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Tweek in front of him. Tweek appeared to be cross with the brunet. "You started walking off to the left. W-What came over you?!" 

"Sorry," Clyde muttered. "I was just thinking about other things instead of where I was going." Tweek stared at him, trying to tell if he was telling the truth or not. Eventually, he just let Clyde go. Clyde scurried back into the group quickly so he didn't piss off Tweek. Craig hadn't said anything when he returned, which Clyde appreciated. The last thing the brunet needed was another person scolding him or a sarcastic comment.

Butters was getting tired. He had to proceed with the cane and his bags. It was obvious that they were going to have to take a break for him. It took convincing Tweek, or to be more specific, Craig charming him over, but they eventually came to a compromise. Tweek insisted that they go further as to not get lost, so they ended up walking another half of a mile before they were allowed to camp out. Tweek was left to scout the area for traps or any potential threats while Craig directed Butters and Clyde on setting up. 

"We can't stay here for too long. When we get up tomorrow, we'll have to pack up and keep going." Craig said. Clyde and Butters agreed, setting out their sleeping bags. 

"That also means no fire." 

A consecutive groan came from the two as Craig smirked. They didn't set out anything other than their sleeping bags just so they could get everything put away faster for when they had to leave. When they were finished, they all sat down and talked with each other. Tweek still hadn't come back yet from trap checking, but Craig didn't appear to be worried in the slightest. 

"He was raised in the wilderness," Craig explained. "He knows his way around. Just about every leaf on a tree or rock he can use to his advantage. He recognizes trees he only saw once. He could be miles away and hear me call his name. Or even just sense that I want him back. It's weird, but it's a special bond." Clyde tilted his head and Butters let out a happy "awww!" 

"Watch this," Craig said. He stood up, walking over to the edge of their camp. He stood there for a minute, just doing nothing. Clyde raised a brow. That wasn't exactly impressive. Butters seemed to be excited by it. Craig stared out into the woods, eventually closing his eyes. A smile slowly came to his lips as he heard Tweek coming closer. 

Tweek jumped out from the shadows, looking around. "C-Craig?! Are you okay?!" Tweek shook nervously. He headed over to his boyfriend, wrapping his arms around the other boy. Craig nodded. 

"Yeah, hun. I just wanted you back. I set up your sleeping bag right next to mine like I know you'd want." Tweek nuzzled Craig, who returned the affection. Tweek walked over to the rest of the group, looking confused when he saw the shock on Clyde's face and the bliss on Butters's. "What?" Tweek asked, sitting down on the sleeping bags. They didn't seem to reply, so Tweek just let it go. Craig came over and plopped down beside Tweek, draping an arm over the male. 

Clyde leaned over to Butters. "He's not human. He can't be human!" Clyde hissed. Butters only grinned. 

"Golly gee! That was amazing!" He clapped for the couple across from him. 

"What are they t-talking about?" Tweek asked, shaking slightly and looking at Craig. 

"I showed them that you come to me," Craig shrugged. Tweek still had no clue what Craig was talking about, almost as if he didn't understand what he was even capable of. Tweek yawned, and somehow Craig managed to get him to stop shaking. Craig hummed softly for the blond beside him, lowering him gently onto the sleeping bag. He hadn't gotten in it, but Craig just grabbed a blanket from Tweek's bag and put it over him. 

"Was that another trick?" Butters whispered, growing tired himself.

"I guess," came the blunt reply. 

Clyde stared down at Tweek, who occasionally grunted or growled in his sleep. Craig rubbed the blonde's side soothingly, easing him into a more gentle rest. "We should get some sleep too," Craig murmured, not taking his eyes off of his significant other. "Once he's up, he stays up. That won't be good for you." Craig brushed his hand on Tweek's hair, pushing it away from his face. He lied down beside the blond, holding him close. 

Once Clyde believed that both of them were alseep, he turned to Butters. "Hey Butters," Clyde whispered, trying to get the boy's attention. Butters picked up his head from his pillow. 

"What?" 

"Follow me. I want to talk." 

"Can't we do this another time?" 

"No."

"Aww phooey..." 

Butters got up from his sleeping bag, following Clyde away from the camp. They could still see it, but they were just out of earshot from the sleeping couple. Clyde hoped that without them overhearing, he could convince Butters to give him more information about himself or his crew. 

"Alright Butters," Clyde said. "I need you to tell me about my past. I know I was a pirate captain, most likely your pirate captain. How did I manage to get such a high bounty on my head?" 

Butters frowned. "I thought I wasn't allowed to tell ya anything." 

"Yes, by a thief. I am your captain, right?" 

"Well, yeah!" 

"So doesn't that mean you should listen to your captain?" 

"By golly! You're right!" 

Clyde was so thankful for Butters's stupidity that he let out a sigh of relief. "Okay, Butters. Your captain is telling you that you have to let me know how I ended up here. That's the most important thing to me right now." 

"Well, we walked."

"Huh?"

"Yeah! You, me, Tweek, and Craig walked all the way here from Token's house. We were talkin' about stars n' stuff. Gee your memory is pretty bad, huh captain?" 

Clyde let out a groan. There were benefits to his ignorance, but Butters was still somewhat of an idiot, which could lead to frustration. "I meant, how did I end up as a slave?" 

"You aren't a slave, you're a pirate captain." 

"I know that!" Clyde tried to think of a question that might get the right answer out of Butters. "Was our ship attacked before everyone split up?" 

"Yeah." 

"What happened to me?" Clyde watched Butters go silent for what seemed like forever, contemplating what to say. He was beginning to think that Butters hadn't actually seen what happened to him. 

"I dunno..." Butters answered gloomily. "You went away with Kenny while we all had to fight." 

Clyde brightened up. There was some progress here. He might just leave this conversation with valuable information. 

"Okay, Butters. Who is Kenny?" 

"Kenny is part of your crew, well sorta. He did a bunch of other things beforehand but he did join your crew. Pretty mysterious guy, but he certainly was cheerful. He was nice too!" Butters smiled, but it wavered. "I don't know where he went. He dragged you away from the battle and then hopped right into the ocean! It was insane! I guess he must've survived if he's on the loose now." Butters shrugged. "Probably got swept away and ended up here!" 

Clyde nodded his head. It didn't seem likely that Kenny could survive just jumping into the ocean, but maybe the crew member got really lucky and beached somewhere nearby. Knowing he probably wasn't going to get anymore useful information from Butters, and that he didn't have any more questions that came to mind, he dismissed Butters. 

"You can go sleep now." 

"Thanks, captain!"

Butters shuffled over to the camp, hopping in his sleeping bag and getting comfortable. It didn't take long for sleep to completely overtake the blond. Clyde was actually impressed by how fast Butters passed out. He eventually followed Butters to the camp, lying down in his sleeping bag. 

He stared up at the sky and the nearly full moon. By the look of it, it would most likely be full in two days. At least it would light their path back to Token. Clyde let his mind shift to Token as he slowly drifted off, curling up into his sleeping bag.


	10. Chapter 10

Clyde immediately regretted waking up in the morning. He was rushed out of bed as soon as Tweek was up, and they had their things all packed. Craig was right when he said that they needed all the rest they could get. Clyde was groggily proceeding on with the rest of the group. It would take him another hour or so for him just to get his energy to walk faster. Butters wasn't doing much better, what with his cane Clyde could say he was doing worse. 

Tweek seemed to be full of energy, but Clyde didn't think the blond could even deplete it. Somehow, Tweek appeared more energized than usual, which was confusing. His head would turn and his eyes would dart around as he led the way for the rest of the group. Clyde thought he was weird, but Craig seemed to dismiss his odd behavior. He only showed slight concern when Tweek strayed too far away from them. 

"He gets like this sometimes. I don't get it either." Craig shrugged, calling back for Tweek when the blond rushed towards a rock or an odd pile of leaves almost out of sight from the party. 

"We're closer..." Tweek hissed. "There are more traps around. We should get there tonight." 

Clyde didn't think he could be more relieved when he heard the shaky blond mention the possibility of arriving sooner. He understood that meant a whole day of walking, but he figured he could handle it. As long as he get plenty to eat he'd be able to continue. He was more focused on Butters. Butters had been getting better at using his cane, and his leg was healing quickly. He was surprised by how fast the leg wound healed. Butters's recovery was incredible. Butters had a barely noticable limp at this point. He probably didn't even need the cane, but Butters preferred to use it anyway. 

Clyde ate a small roll from his bag as he trekked. It helped him reduce stress from what he had been put through in the past week and a half. He was also hungry, so it doubled as breakfast. Clyde watched as Tweek roamed around, clearly in his element. Craig seemed indifferent, just following after his boyfriend casually. Butters was hobbling along, and Clyde was eating while he walked to try and wake himself up. 

He tried to think of what Token was putting up with. He doubted that the noble was doing anything at all. Token must have been very bored just sitting around and waiting for their return. 

 

~~~~

 

Token had exhausted himself that morning getting all of his servants to clean the household. Luckily, the group hadn't made much of a mess while they were there, and they packed up all their utilities. The sooner the guards could come and search his house, the better. Token sat in the empty dining room eating his breakfast. Occasionally a maid would enter to bring him more to drink, but he waved them away. He needed time to himself to think. 

Token contemplated heading into town. Hopefully he would be able to find Kenny roaming the streets in disguise. He didn't know where the pirate was, or how far away he possibly could be. There was no telling if the blond was there in town or miles away. He at least had to try to find him before any authority figure did. Token could convince his servants that he needed to do some shopping. That could pass. He trusted the maids enough to not tell anyone that the convicts were here at one point. If the fired servants had told the guards, it wouldn't matter anyway because Clyde was long gone. 

Token got up from the breakfast table, throwing his coat on. He was determined to at least do something other than just provide shelter. He had a heart, but he also had a thirst for danger. He could deal with the difficult situations. He had to be the bigger man for Clyde's sake. Normally, Token didn't go into the town. Servants usually did shopping for the manor. Token understood that it was for his protection, but he did know how to defend himself. He could fight well, taking lessons from both Craig and actual tutors hired by his parents. 

Token headed outside, telling the maid holding the door for him that he would come back in a few hours for lunch. He heard the door shut behind him, walking down the slight incline that led to his house and heading towards the town. He lived far away enough to provide a fifteen minute walk. That didn't matter, as Token used that time to let his mind wander back to Clyde. The boy was probably tired and bored, snacking ever so often to keep up with the group. 

Token thought back to before Clyde learned about himself. He was so considerate towards Token and thankful to have him as an owner. He somehow didn't change much in personality when he slowly gained his memory back, but the first time Token had met him, the boy was much more confident. Token pictured the night well. The dark sky was speckled with stars as the moon hung low over the water, which sloshed calmly beneath the old pirate ship. The town could be seen in the distance, bright lights reflecting off of the ocean. Token wasn't particularly comfortable, but he was certainly excited. Clyde was right beside him, paying almost no mind to the noble until he started talking. 

Token nearly tripped on a rock while he was reminiscing, snapping him back into reality. Catching himself, he stood up properly and proceeded. He remembered Clyde's smile as the boy entered Token's manor for the first time, surprise on his face when Token removed the chains from his new slave's wrists. Clyde had finally gotten a bath, and some clothing. He imagined the male maid outfit he was given, his face heating up when he pictured the white laced apron and the small headpiece. He wondered what it would have looked like if Clyde hadn't been given the male outfit. He thought about taking that off... 

Token shook his head before he could let himself get off topic. He had a job to do and that was to look for Kenny and demand answers. The town was bustling with people. Everyone tried to get to their designated place or just wandered around randomly and talked with friends. Token took a deep breath. He wasn't the only noble that ventured into the town. Sometimes other higher class individuals were seen there, especially for slave trades. Token just reminded himself to keep an eye out for the blond. It was understandable if Token couldn't find him, he doubted that the convict wanted to be found. 

If so, Token had better make this quick.

 

~~~~

 

Clyde struggled to keep himself going. Carrying the weight of himself and his bag for hours on end was really taking everything out of him. It wasn't just Clyde either. Butters was having trouble continuing and even Craig showed signs of drowsiness. Tweek hadn't changed since he woke up. The barbarian was still on full alert mode, guiding them to the tribe as briskly and safely as possible. Clyde questioned how he knew the way despite the fact that there were no stars to show their direction, but at this point Clyde believed that Tweek could be leading by sense of smell and still head in the right direction. 

Clyde could tell that Craig was a bit on edge. The raven haired boy had been concerned about Tweek since that morning. Clyde could still see the blond as his usual spazzy self, but he supposed that there was a close enough bond between them that Craig could tell if something was wrong with his significant other. 

"Hey," Clyde whispered. "What's wrong with your psycho boyfriend?" 

"Sh! He isn't a psycho you asshole. And I don't know..." Craig's face showed slight worry. "He's acting different. I can tell. He is never usually this... sharp." 

"Sharp? What do you mean?" 

"That probably isn't the best word for it. I mean he's being rough, defensive, and fast as hell. He's not normally so, I don't know, wild!" 

"Something up, hun?" Tweek rushed to Craig's side from where he was standing, which happened to be beside a rather loud river. "You're talking about me." 

"Holy shit, he could hear that?" Clyde said, his eyes wide. 

"We're fine babe. No worries." 

"If you say so." Tweek nuzzled Craig softly and pecked him on the cheek before going over towards the river again. He followed it to lead them towards the tribe. Clyde shut up so he wouldn't say something regretful and Craig didn't know what to say. They exchanged glances and followed suit. 

Clyde got bored fast when he didn't know how long it would take to get somewhere. He didn't know how long he had been walking for, and he was afraid to ask. If numbers came into play, it was more likely for Clyde to just drop down and give up. He could live with waiting for tomorrow to get to the tribe. Tweek was insane if he thought they could all catch up to him and continue for miles on end. He was amazed at how much stamina the boy possessed. His strength was impressive as well. He was definitely built for combat, as his title suggested. 

Craig also had his skill perfected, evident in the way he moved. He appeared to flow with his movements when he wasn't being completely blunt. He had a sort of elegance to him, even when he fought. His technique was down and his form was graceful as he carried things out, as silent as he could make it. He was perfect for sneaking, which made Clyde wonder how he stuck with the clumsier and stronger blond. He supposed that opposites really did attract, as he hadn't seen any attraction more opposite than Tweek and Craig. He may not just remember, that could also be the case. 

Clyde was so far gone that he had strayed from the group again. This time, though, he recieved a punishment for it. Tweek hadn't been able to stop Clyde in time. 

"Clyde! Watch out!"

"Huh?" 

Clyde stepped forwards, triggering a simple trap. Suddenly, Clyde was up in the air, suspended by what looked to be a giant net made of vine. He struggled to try and get out, but he only got himself tangled in the vines. Tweek moved forwards, hoping to climb the tree and cut him out, but Craig pressed his palm to the blond's chest, stopping him. 

"Craig! He needs help!" 

"This is exactly what we want. We are trying to get to your tribe, right? They'll come right to us." 

Tweek made a sound of protest, but he nodded. He sat down on a rock as their party stared up at Clyde dangling in the trees. "You guys are just going to sit there!?" Clyde called out. "This is very uncomfortable! I want to come down now!" 

"Just wait a bit! They're coming!" Craig shouted back up at Clyde, who whimpered. 

Almost as if by a miracle, people did, in fact, arrive. Tribe members sprang from bushes, spears aimed at the party as they viciously growled at the trespassers. War paint coated their faces and bodies, not unlike Tweek's mud-made design. The men were large, sporting muscles and intimidating poses. The women weren't all that much different from the men. When the tribal people noticed the shaky blond, they stood up straight, holding their weapons by their sides and beating their chests once with a fist. 

"Leader! You're back just in time!" 

Tweek nervously held his hands behind his back. 

"H-hi, guys..."


	11. Chapter 11

Clyde was numb. 

The troops that found the party had cut him down from the tree and decided to bring him along in the net rather than allow him to walk. Clyde wasn't sure whether to be grateful that he didn't have to move his sore legs anymore or angry because he was stuck in an uncomfortable position and part of him was being scraped across the ground. He reminded himself that this wasn't the first time such a thing has happened. The guards weren't kind to him either. With the net under him, Clyde at least had some protection. 

The hunters that had come to the trap were more friendly towards the group when they saw their leader among them. Tweek filled them in on what experiences he had while he was away. The troop seemed intent on listening to him speak, even though Clyde doubted they understood what some terms were. They were just happy to see their leader back. 

"We need to stay for a few nights. Just two," Craig mentioned to them as they hiked. 

"That's perfect!" One troop member exclaimed, turning to Tweek. "You know what night that is."

Tweek grunted, his eyes widening. "R-really?... huh! No wonder..."

"What night?" Clyde inquired.

"N-nothing!"

"Hmm..." Craig narrowed his eyes suspiciously, but he decided not to comment. Clyde was surprised that Craig didn't know either. He expected the thief to understand his boyfriend more than everyone else. It looked as if the boy was left in the dark just as much as everyone else was. Craig approached Tweek, staying by his side. 

"Leader! You brought your mate? Are you sure that's wise? He took you the first time! How will your elders react?"

Clyde snickered from inside the net as Craig shot a glare in the brunet's direction. He had gotten used to being called that by everyone. It was the only way he would be accepted in the tribe with Tweek. If he had to deal with the name, so be it. 

"They let me have him. Don't worry about it!" Tweek trembled a bit, more out of the extreme amounts of energy running through him than anything else. Clyde felt that their situation must not have been that much different from Clyde's while he was still a slave under Token's care. It seemed that strict conditions had to be met for Craig to be with Tweek, but what they were remained unknown. 

The sun was going down by the time everyone had arrived to the main camp. Clyde was amazed by all the structures that were made. There were huts both on the ground and others that were in the trees, suspended up high in the air. Long grass and pelt was used for most of them, which gave the place a more run-down appearance, but the incredible hut designs made up for it. There was a surprising lack of torches lighting up the area, but that might have been simply because of the fact that the sun still hadn't gone down yet. 

The party immediately had eyes on them the moment they stepped foot into the perimeter of the camp. Their only protection was Tweek. Hopefully, the blond wouldn't get them into trouble. If not, Craig could possibly help. Clyde doubted Craig had a whole lot of power in their current situation, however. The thief had no say in their fate compared to the true leader. It was no wonder that Tweek had so much pressure put on him. He called shots for the good of his people. 

Clyde wasn't surprised when they headed towards one of the biggest structures in the camp. Of course only the best was given to the highest in command. The hut towered over the group, casting a shadow on the ground. Long grass poured over the rooftop, providing excellent shade. The group was directed inside, where numerous tools and tribal trophies hung on the wall. Simple furniture made of wood pieces fastened together decorated the hut, and it still had some cleanliness to it. 

Two people, a man and a woman, approached them. Tweek ran into their arms, murmuring things to them that none of the other boys could comprehend. Finally the man spoke up.

"My son says that you showed him the outside and helped him get back." He opened his arms in a welcoming gesture. "We'll let you stay here for as long as you'd like. A brief reminder, however. Things may get rough around here as the days progress. I wouldn't recommend staying around. Especially since what happened the last time..." 

The man went silent. Tweek began to shake, his eyes bulging. When he figured that his father was going to answer, Tweek snapped. "Well?!"

"Well what?" 

"Well what happened?!"

"Oh, I don't remember. It probably doesn't matter... Come with us, we'll show you where you can rest."

Clyde didn't think he had ever been happier to hear the word "rest". He struggled in the net, frowning. "Hey, mind cutting me out?" Clyde asked. 

"Oh, right. Get him out of there. He's a guest." 

With one swift motion, a sharp blade cut through the net, allowing Clyde to escape from it. The group was led to a set of huts, ones that Clyde assumed were not occupied by anyone. Clyde pondered why they had empty huts, but he wouldn't mention it. He could always ask later anyway. Craig was told to sleep with Tweek rather than having his own hut. The thief just shut up and obeyed rather than displaying his distaste in the fact that he didn't get much of a choice. He wanted to stay beside Tweek anyway, but he at least wanted to do it knowing that it was by free will and not pressed on by an authoritive figure. 

Clyde checked out the beds in his own hut. They were comfortable, but he wanted to keep his sleeping bag. The material of the sleeping bag was softer and smelled like Token, something he was always happy to have. He considered eating some snacks, but as the sun set lower and lower, he could see tribe members heading towards what looked like a giant fire located not far from the center of the camp. Clyde considered just skipping it in favor of getting rest, but his curiosity overtook him. 

Clyde headed over to the fire, sitting on a log next to Butters so he at least wouldn't be surrounded by strangers. He was eaay to locate, as almost every other person there had war paint on. 

"These guys are great! Right, captain?" Butters asked, his tone giddy. 

"Yeah. They definitely are." 

"Have you seen Tweek or Craig yet?" 

"No. Not yet. Are they here?" 

"Should be! I heard the leaders would be comin' soon. This is like a big feast or somethin'!" 

Clyde perked up. A feast? That was what he liked to hear. His stomach growled at the thought of getting to eat a large meal. Sure, he probably had to eat it on the ground with his hands, but who was he to judge? Clyde was just glad to get food. 

The leaders made their way towards the fire, followed by Tweek, who held Craig's hand and guided him along behind him. They sat in special seats, suspended off of the ground and further away from the fire. The tribe members waited patiently for them to make a command or a speech. Mostly, they just hoped that he wasn't going to take too long or get off topic so they could eat. 

"First of all," Tweek's father began. "I would like to honor my son's return. He has been taught well by outsiders! Hopefully, it will benefit us well." A brief clap followed. "The upcoming festival will be greater than ever! With my son now at the age of adulthood, he will finally get to experience it like the adults do! Lucky for him, he also had found a mate!" Cheering came from the tribe below the leaders. Tweek shook nervously and Craig lowered his head in defeat, his cheeks turning pink from humiliation. He looked like he would rather die than be in front of everyone. A smug grin slowly made its way across Clyde's face as he watched. Tweek's father was certainly vague. His words seemed to go nowhere. Clyde questioned how he obtained leader status, but maybe it was from blood. If that was the case, there wouldn't be much of a next generation. 

"Well... I forgot what else I was going to say. Dig in everybody!"

The tribe let out a cheer before they began to eat. They pulled apart the day's kill to share with everyone. There was plenty of deer to go around, along with rabbit and fox. Clyde tasted the different meat, just stuffing himself. Butters ate almost as much as Clyde did, but when he was eating rabbit Clyde decided not to tell him what animal it came from. They wouldn't stick around too long to eat. Both boys were incredibly tired, so they needed good rest. Clyde decided to go over to Tweek and Craig before finally going to his room for the night. 

"How's the feast?" Clyde asked. Tweek twitched and cocked his head to the side while Craig buried his face in his hat, mumbling something that was muffled by the fabric. "Uh huh... Well, I'm heading to the hut for the night. I'll see you guys in the morning..." 

Clyde departed from the fire just as the tribe members were dancing and providing entertainment for each other. The hut didn't have much of a door on it, but Clyde eventually figured out how it worked. He cuddled up into his sleeping bag, relishing in the warmth it provided and the smell that reminded him of his other home. He was out immediately. Not even the singing and yelling from the fire outside could wake him at that point. 

 

~~~~

 

"So, you boys are staying in here." 

Tweek's father led the theif and the barbarian to their quarters. Fortunately, it was in a seperate area, farther away from the rest of the camp. "I picked this place ao you two can be as loud as you want while the rest of us are sleeping." 

Craig's face turned a deep crimson while Tweek let out a loud "WHAT!?" 

"Tweek, you're going to have to show your dominance early if you are to be a true leader. If you can lead your mate, you can lead your tribe. You're lucky we let this outcast into our group to begin with. He will have to join us eventually." 

Tweek's father stepped out before Craig could intervene. "Wait what do you mean?-" 

Tensed up, Craig stared at Tweek. "What does he mean?" 

"It just means that he wants me to make you complaint to me like a mate should be. Don't think too hard about it." Tweek held Craig's hand, leading him to the bed. "I'm not going to do anything like that to you! Not unless you want me to. C'mon lets just get some rest and then- !" 

Craig pressed a kiss to Tweek's lips. He had had enough of this. If he was supposed to be a certain way, so be it. It couldn't be that hard. 

When Craig finally pulled away, Tweek let out a whine. The blond obviously wanted more from the noiret. Tweek's brute strength took over as his logical mind blurred out, tossing Craig onto the cot so hard that the theif actually bounced up. 

"We aren't sleeping just yet," Tweek said. Craig merely nodded in response. 

This was going to be a long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am not going to include actual smut scenes in this story. However, that doesn't mean I won't write them seperately. As promised, here is the smut scene between Tweek and Craig! 
> 
> http://archiveofourown.org/works/12998700
> 
> (Poor Clyde just wants to see Token again while Tweek and Craig are getting naughty together)


	12. Chapter 12

Clyde wasn't sure when he had woken up that morning, but he found his pillow soaked with tears yet again. He cuddled into it, inhaling the scent of Token to try and calm himself down. He was a mess, refusing to move from his one position on the bed and using the pillow to cope with the fact that he was miles away from the one person that made him feel safe. His tongue was dry and his eyes were sticky and wet. He whispered Token's name under his breath as he pressed his cheek to the pillow. He knew he would have to get up eventually, there was no way that he would be able to fall asleep again. 

Clyde frowned, sitting up on his cot and reassessing all of his priorities. He had a lot to focus on, such as any sort of plan for the prison break everyone was anticipating and the fact that Kenny still hadn't been found. How did he expect to lead a group of people when he didn't even know who he was? The more that Clyde thought about it, the more hurt his pride was. He wasn't brave and strong. He missed Token. Token didn't care about that, he just loved him for who he was. 

Love. Was that really it? Did Token love him? Did he love Token? The answer had to be yes. Why else would he want nothing more in the world than to wrap himself up in his owner's arms and let himself relax? He closed his eyes as he pictured it. He understood that there was more to their relationship than that. Clyde considered his thoughts on what he actually wanted. He didn't want to be the big hero everyone expected of him. He didn't want to lead everyone with dignity and confidence. He wanted to stay with Token, or bring the other male with him. Whichever option made sure they wouldn't be separate. 

Clyde yawned, his head beginning to ache from thinking too hard. Certain topics just needed to be let go. Right now, he needed to break his crew out of prison. For all he knew, they were on trial already. He was assured that they would remain in jail for a good month or so, but there was no time to procrastinate. They were in danger, and it was his fault for not being able to save them.

Clyde bolted out of bed. He immediately regretted getting up so fast because he felt dizzy and his head rushed, and he had to sit down to regain his balance. After sitting and waiting for a few minutes, Clyde decided to then get up. He wobbily stood, stretching out and walking around his hut in a drunken manner until he got his footing.

When Clyde finally left his hut, he made his way towards the village center. A few tribe members wandered around, going about their business. It wasn't early in the morning, moreso the afternoon. Clyde was surprised by how late he had slept in. Of course, all that walking the previous day had worn him out. Most tribe members didn't acknowledge them, instead decorating their village for the upcoming festival. One of them directed Clyde to the leader hut, where he was apparently expected to be. 

When Clyde arrived, the group was gathered around a table. Tweek was more antsy than ever, and even Craig soothing him didn't appear to help. Butters had a look of concern, and even he was fidgeting a little bit. On a seperate table behind the group there was a wooden slab that had an assortment of food on it. Clyde saw the food and his stomach growled. He realized that he most likely wouldn't think straight with an empty stomach, but he kept his mouth shut.

"What's going on?" Clyde asked, standing awkwardly. No one answered him. Butters moved over so he could sit down, which Clyde did rather quickly. On the table there was a drawn on scroll with several different pebbles scattered across it. He examined the table, just trying to find out what was going on. It looked as if they were strategizing a battle plan. 

"Glad you could finally make it," Craig said. "We are discussing the prison break. We already went over it quite a bit, including positions and time and all that other shit. You took a while getting here. I honestly thought you were dead or hungover or something." 

"Gee, thanks Craig," Clyde muttered sarcastically. 

"No problem," came the monotonous response. 

"Guys!" Tweek snapped. "We need to focus! Strategy! C'mon!" He shook vigorously, Craig rubbing his back affectionately.

"Alright. So, the dungeon is not far from the court, according to Token, who I managed to get a map from." Clyde wavered at the mention of Token. He had given away yet another thing and put himself in more danger to help them. Craig continued. "We have to get all the way to the basement of the main fort. The fort is located east of the kingdom wall. It's a massive establishment, so this map is very helpful." Craig took out the map he had been talking about, spreading it out over the table. Craig was correct when he said it was massive. The base was three levels, with countless rooms. 

"We have to think about the aftermath..." Clyde mentioned. "Where is my ship?" 

"That was our problem too. I'm not too sure about this, but I suspect that the ship is located in a shipyard nearby the training grounds for the navy forces. That's northeast of the kingdom, so it will take a qhile to grt there. Hopefully, if this goes well, we can get everyone out and leave the area completely."

"What about Token?" Clyde mumbled.

"Hm?"

"What about Token?" Clyde repeated louder, suddenly tense. 

Craig sighed. "He did what he could for us. If we take him with us we won't be able to have a cover, or a safe place to hide. You realize you're threatening his future and his nobility." 

"A future and nobility he doesn't want! He told me he wanted to leave. He said he didn't like where he wanted to be! I can't just take back what I promised him. I said I would come back for him and I meant it. 

"You know what you are risking here-"

"I don't care. I'm going to bring him with us even if it means losing our haven here. I would never go back on my word to Token!"

Craig went silent, as did everyone else. Everyone was staring at Clyde, who leaned forwards and pressed his palms firmly to the table. 

"...You love him, don't you?..." Craig murmured. 

Clyde's eyes widened as he stared at Craig. He refused to answer. The room went so quiet that a pin drop could be heard in it. Clyde and Craig stared each other down for what seemed like forever. Clyde then stood up, turned around, and stormed right out of the room. Everyone was taken aback. They didn't know what to think. 

"As I was saying..." Craig gulped. "We don't have much time. We have to locate everyone before we are captured ourselves. I won't have a problem picking the locks to the jail cells, but I'm going to need a lot of time to do it. Tweek, you are going to help fight off guards, I will break the crew out, and Clyde and Butters will locate everyone. Got it?" 

 

"Well golly..." Butters gasped. "S-Shouldn't we discuss this when Clyde comes back?" 

"Don't worry. I'll fill him in when I talk to him again." 

Tweek looked down, feeling a sense of guilt. Craig draped an arm over Tweek to try and comfort him. He was still shaking, but slightly less after Craig's effort to calm him. "After we round up everyone, we are going to sneak through the woods and hide out. We can throw them off using Tweek's forest skills and make our way back to the ship. We have one shot at this, so we better not fail. Hopefully, Clyde's crew will come with us without question. Anyone have anything else to add?" 

He recieved head shakes from Butters and Tweek. 

"Good. Meeting concluded. I'm going to go talk to Clyde." The thief left the room, leaving the two blonds alone.

Craig stepped outside, turning his head both ways to see if he could locate the pirate captain. He stopped a few tribe members to see if they could point him in the right direction. Meandering along towards where he was directed, he found himself sitting beside Clyde near a river just outside of the village. 

"Hey..."

Clyde refused to acknowledge Craig, but he could tell the other was listening. 

"I'm sorry about bringing your relationship with Token up-"

"We aren't in a relationship..." 

"Do you want to be?..." 

Clyde turned to Craig, tears streaking his eyes. "I don't know," he replied shakily, sniffling. "I don't know what I want. I don't know what I'm doing. I just want to go back to him..." Clyde curled in on himself. Craig watched over him, his expression remaining stagnant. He could tell what was really going on inside of Clyde. 

"Okay. I get it. We'll try to find a way around it." Craig huffed. "I was hoping this would be easy." 

"Y-you really are going to let me bring him for the prison break?" Clyde perked up, wiping his eye as he looked at Craig in disbelief. 

"I didn't necessarily mean that." 

Clyde lowered his head. 

"Here's my plan. After we free everyone, we come back. We pretend to kidnap him and take him away. That way, if he ever wants to return to his old life where it is much safer, he can do it without anyone questioning him. I hope you realize the danger you are putting him in." 

"It's nothing he doesn't want for himself already. He told me we met before, and that he wanted to stay with me that night. I will come back for him." Clyde looked up at the sky, listening to the river flow and spash across large rocks embedded in the bottom and peeking to the surface. He imagined Token's excitement for his return, and both of them running away together. He grinned at nothing in particular, making Craig chuckle.

"You really are in love." 

"Maybe I am..."

~~~~

_The star speckled sky was a wondrous sight to behold. The moon lit up the ocean, giving it a sense of beautiful mystery. Off in the distance, the lights of the town cast dark shadows on the outskirts of the land it sat upon. The sound of feet rushing around the ship's deck ruined the serenity of the night. A young teen sat in a chair on the ship's deck, admiring everything around him with excitement stirring in his gut. He wasn't in the best situation, as he was bound to the chair he sat upon with rope._

_"Captain! They are willing to give ten thousand gold pieces for him! Can you believe it? We'll be good on supplies for months!"_

_"Great! Tell them that it's a deal."_

_The great pirate captain stood tall and proud beside his hostage, his pistol out and ready. The boy in the chair fidgeted, but he was far from afraid, even with the gun that had been placed against his head for a good fifteen minutes. The captain dismissed his crew mate, sending him off to prepare for the exchange. The hostage smiled, wondering if he should speak._

_"I've been looking for you..." he finally said._

_The captain raised a brow. "I'm sorry, what?"_

_The hostage grinned sheepishly. "I heard tales of all that you and your crew have accomplished." He shrugged. "I want to join you."_

_The captain looked down at the other boy. Two crew members approached him, but he directed them away, leaving him alone with the hostage on the center of the deck. Messy brown hair poked out from underneath a large black hat, blowing in the cool night's breeze. Bright chestnut eyes were nearly glowing in the darkness, and they were looking right at the boy sitting in the chair, meeting his gaze._

_"Well... I'm not so sure about that with the situation you're currently in. You do have to go home. How would you be able to help-"_

_"I can fix wounds!" The hostage offered. "I have medical training! I'm very intelligent! I was a scholar! Just please... let me in."_

_The pirate listened to him beg, interest overtaking his features. He smiled kindly at the other male. The pistol was lowered and placed back in its holster._

_"You really aren't afraid of me?"_

_"I couldn't possibly be. I want to be a part of you guys!"_

_The hostage didn't witness the captain dragging a chair over to sit beside him. "Hmm... Want to tell me about yourself?"_

_"Oh, uh..." The hostage looked down, licking his lips due to all the dryness. "I studied in my home for the first few years of my life. After that, I ended up at a private school, where I was the top of my class. My parents work in the court and I mostly remain at home. I studied biology and medicine, so I would be helpful to you."_

_"Why do you want to leave so bad?" The captain chuckled. He was supposed to be making money off of the other, but it was amusing to listen to him talk. He didn't understand why he was so drawn to him, but he didn't care for an explanation._

_"My life is boring. I don't go anywhere. Everything is planned out. I want a sense of adventure. I want to be free. Are you going to take me?"_

_The captain stared out at the water. "What's your name?..." He asked._

_"Token."_

_"You certainly are one."_

_Token snorted at the flirt, though he wasn't too interested in that. The captain turned Token's chair so he could look out at the vast ocean._

_"You see that? Out there?" He pointed at nothing in particular, confusing Token slightly._

_"No... not really..."_

_"Neither do I. That's what a pirate's life is like. You never know what's out there. You could face literally anything." He sighed. "The difference between you and me is that I was raised with the unexpected, so I can deal with it. You are far more organized than I am. If everything you do in life is planned out, how will you know what to do with something random and sudden?"_

_Token went quiet. The captain did have a point. How could he prove to him that he was worthy to be on the ship? He watched the waves dance on the surface of the ocean, every one unique in size and power. It was calming, in a strange way._

_The captain didn't take long to speak up again. "I'll make you a deal... Okay?"_

_Token nodded his head._

_"I'll bring you back and collect the money for you. If we do meet again, I will ask you if you want to come with me. If the answer is still yes, then I will take you with no exceptions. Does that sound fair?"_

_Token brightened up, but he quickly became confused again. "How will you remember me if you're gone for a very long time?"_

_"I won't forget you. I like you too much. You're neat. If I do, remind me." The captain winked._

_Token was about to say something else when more crew members approached, out of breath from running back and forth between the town._

_"Captain. They demand the noble. We negotiated and they want us to bring him to the edge of town."_

_The captain stood up tall again. "Good. Go ahead then, and come back quickly." He grinned. The crew members began to untie Token from the chair, leaving only his wrists bound._

_"Wait! What's your name?" Token turned his head, looking anxiously at the pirate. The other male seperated his crew from the hostage for a few seconds. He leaned in to whisper into Token's ear._

_"Clyde Donovan."_

_The captain pulled away, the crew mates resuming in carrying Token away. Token stared at the ground as they neared the town. He saw the massive gathering of people and the large sack of coins that the pirates had demanded in exchange for him. It was nothing for his family, as they made plenty with their high class, but it meant a lot to the pirates, as they actually needed it for survival._

_The pirates dropped him off, collecting the money with no problems and going back to the ship. Token was surrounded by villagers. Numerous townspeople crowded him and asked if he was safe and his parents hugged him tight in their arms. He seperated from everyone as soon as he saw the ship taking off, slowly watching as it sailed away and disappeared into the night. The name of the captain echoed in Token's head, buried into his mind along with the night he could never forget._

_"Clyde Donovan..." Token whispered to himself, his lips curling into a small smile._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's an extra long chapter as an apology for the long wait! I was just really busy with other things so I couldn't get back to it.


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